I'm a snail and I'm bold, I'm crossing a road
Even the hungry crow has a tear in his eye as he watches me try
I got one eye in and one eye out, one on death and one on doubt
One on the sky and one on my heart, 'cause if I didn't do that
I couldn't even start on a journey like this
On this big old freeway 6 lanes wide,
that's like 45 minutes to the other side
But I gotta cross or I'm gonna die,
cause there's a drought and the water's run out
I've already lost two of my family,
I watched them shrivel up in front of me
A single drop of dew stopped me from shrivelling too
Now there's just silence where their laughter used to be
I know what you're thinking: snails don't laugh
Oh yes we do, it's just like the laughter coming out of you
As you watch your daughter climb
into the swimming pool for the first time
Watching her grow, watch her turn from a little bun into a radiant sun
Start arguing with you about what should and should not be done
Pushing your buttons and touching your scars
As you drive her to her swimming lesson in Carkeek park
So you stop and you yell and she starts to cry
And you regret it right away and you
wanna comfort her but you gotta drive
And even if you knew, in that moment of shame
Provoked by your child who carries your name
And even if you knew, in that moment of rage
Provoked by your child for whom you'd die just to save
And even if you knew, in that moment you snapped
Provoked by your child who's become your best bet
To let out your love in this indifferent world
Even if you knew,
in the moment that the tires of your car crushed my back
And snapped my shell and sliced my neck,
and the hope that I held fades to black
Even if you knew,
would you even look back at the tiny
speck on the grey concrete of the interstate
I don't think you would,
'cause you don't believe that a snail could be worthy of your love
I'm a snail and I'm bold, I'm crossing a road
Soon the hungry crow will swoop down
to dine, and fill his belly with mine
And the siege of Aleppo drifts by on your
facebook wall, as your daughter finally learns the crawl