Salt

The salt on the sidewalk, it glistens and moans
Under January Christmas lights that stand to condone
Every strong start that tapers off as the vision implodes
And the world is the world again

And plastered on the wall of the greenway by the river
Is an orange astronaut who looks fresh out of prison
He's not looking for another shore but a more grounded vision
Where the world is the world again

The Roosevelt Lighthouse is under construction
They are fixing the roof of the lantern room or something
But they gotta know it's just for show until the lantern is running
And the world is the world again

And its foundation was laid during the Reconstruction
By a man so afraid that the British were coming
That he built a fort to save the shore that the city took from him
And the world is the world again

There's salt in the air but too little to sense it
Over middle-aged men casting lines over fences
Standing huddled up and out of luck, but dryly expectant
'Til the world is the world again

'Cause technically the river is a true estuary
And it carries salt water to the Statue of Liberty
Keeps her looking for another shore or a new torch to carry
'Til the world is the world again
'Til the world is the world again