Not Enough

[Inspired by Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse-Five"]

On a branch-line siding in the middle of the night -
It don’t get much more out of the way,
You can never tell just what’s inside
Of the boxcar waiting for its marching orders
Like the purgatory of a restless soldier
Who only ever wanted on for the ride

I remember the sound of the engine humming,
I’ll be ready for the whistle when the next one comes,
When you play the tape backward the train still rolls out of view
I remember each day that each war ended,
Remember the lines that we tried to defend, and
You can bet your life that I’ll always remember you

But that’s not enough
It don’t make it any better
Just to know how it ends
We’ve got to get there together
With the good times sweeter
’Cause we rolled around in the rough
I want to stand on the edge
With my hands on the wheel,
I want a good back story
And memories I can feel
I want to cut no corners
And hold each moment once,
But that’s not enough

In a hospital wing on the edge of town
They’ve got bright white lights and bright blue gowns,
And there’s a story of a lifetime lying in every bed
The tension lingers with a change in plans
As you cross your fingers and you wash your hands,
And you’re hoping just for the chance to do it again

Nothing is, ever,
But the world keeps turning
And they say it turns better
While you’re asking: “Why?”
And hearing: “Just because”
Grant me the calm
In the eye of the storm
Grant me the compass
To find my way home
Stare me down
Until I call the bluff
That’s still not enough

I dreamed last night I was taken away
On a flying ship, in the cargo bay
By a man who held his eye in the palm of his hand
He saw beyond the break of day
And knew that we would be okay
And asked me if I cared to understand