Always

They came alive on the carpet of a jungle
In a time past, present or future, who's to know?
Standing at her side was her partner made of metal
Staring through the plastic straight into skull, eyes permanently wide
They'd awoke by the programmed will of the prophets
Long since buried and burned, like the future they'd promised

And when you're born without meaning
Meant to know not but yourself
You find your purpose in just about anything
You find your purpose in primitive pulses

So like always, they felt anxious
But unlike ever, they felt a pull somewhere in the distance
So like always, they walked toward horizon
But unlike ever, their steps had purpose
But unlike ever, their steps had purpose, for once in their life

They'd never met a soul face to face on this scorched earth covered in mold
Their only human touch pushed through a screen
Just characters in digital paintings
And still they felt the tick-tick-tick getting louder and louder
While their sick, tired mind got a little less crowded
And the days turned into nights

While sunrises and sets blurred together
They'd never wait 'til morning to keep walking
To wander deeper into that dark
Hoping at least for some kind of mirage

And like always, they felt anxious
But unlike always, there was somewhere to be
And unlike always, they followed a signal
Following the wind, can't tell where they're going
Following the silence, separate from knowing
Following the silhouette of something arisen
And emerging from the post-prehistoric origin

And then that tick-tick-tick
Stopped towering tall out on the plane, took their breath away
She felt the same thing that they all felt
That the long and awful story was finally over

So like always, they kept walking
Marching toward that thing they'd felt
Spinning in place like an orbiting atom
When hope is at a climax
It makes the letdown too hard to handle
Is it too much temptation to swallow?
And is it worth it for choking when eating?

But like always, they kept walking
And wandered deeper into that dark
Toward the first thing they ever felt