You were playing Brighten the Corners
In the mall overhead
But we never talked
So I never said
That I found you impressive

I never saw you again
But I'm reminded a lot
When the doors chime open
At my favorite stop
Or a song from that album
Plays on my headphones

And 20 years later
When I yell into
The empty void
Between the ground
And Tenleytown Metro
And I hear my words
Returned in a Swedish accеnt

And 30 years later
When I yеll again
My voice is blurred
And hides my careful
Choice of words
And my shouting turns to birdsong
Which turns into the air raid sirens
We were under attack
With the metal on the stereo
And guns at our backs
And our shoes full of quicksand

Ran through the tunnels shouting
"FOOD NOT BOMBS"
At the flickering lights
From the Quaker architecture
Over Friendship Heights
And a choir singing shape note

And 40 years later
I still yell a lot
I'm still annoyed
They routed wrong
And that's their choice
But cost per mile is not a sacred metric

And 100 years later
When I yell again
For one last time
The song you played
Still on my mind
And badly routed trains collide
From Bethesda to the other side
Connection
Silver Spring
Bethesda
Cathedral
Connection
Silver Spring