The City

From home in the middle of nowhere, we can see the city far off in the distance
We're not surprised by the size so much as by its very existence
The lights burn together, a singular crowd
Like a low-hanging sunset-backlit amber cloud
A lost soul trapped inside a golden shroud
With only a token resistance

Its promise fills the air
If we dare, we'll find the road leads there

As we move closer to the city, time speeds up slowly to a blur
A million lights turn day and night to more than they once were
There's so much to soak in, we could never again
Want to see something that's already been
Our moments get tired of waiting their turn to occur

I should feel chastened and austere
Seared with a sublime sort-of-fear
Because anyone who's anyone is here
And so are we

Then we rise from the streets to a sparkling suite in an unstained glass hotel
A lost ghost of a note kept afloat by the waves from a slow cymbal swell
And countless skyscrapers stretch in the same direction
Outracing the light from each others' reflections
Chasing the stars and following heaven
With unending stories to tell

I can't bring myself to sleep tonight
This tower of bones shines too bright
Must be a spectrum higher than light
Beyond ordinary sight
Only seen at this height

We should feel effacement and dismay
Like fireflies at a fireworks display
We should feel rhapsodical today
Like lost souls that finally found their way
Their way

But who could live amidst all this romance
When we can't take so much as one glance
Without falling into an ocean of light
Or heedless deerlike trance

To survive, we'd have to be jaded and witty
But we can't see wonder as deserving of pity
We'll always be new to this city
And we'll never stand a chance

Cause anyone who's anyone is here
And if we're not sure we're someone, we might disappear
Yes, anyone who's anyone is here
And we should feel frightened
And we should feel chastened

But we just feel surprised
That anyone can live here at all
Yeah, we look like some kids
Forever new to the city