The Days That We Die

On the basis of the way things are with my children I doubt that the length of the acquaintance necessarily makes it easier for loved ones to know you better Or for you to know them The past keeps getting in the way My children are all grown now, deep into the complications of their adult lives But where I'm concerned I'd bet the ghostly parent of earlier Christmases keeps popping up for them when my number is punched The old record, complete with stored outrage and disappointment Comes up on the computer screen and a natural reserve, or caution Built up for years, takes over And why shouldn't it? We share a big chunk of the past, and there were awful bumps I've gotten used to the fact that they have their own versions of how things were They're entitled, even if I recall some things differently No, it's not that I want to set the record straight That could make matters worse But change is possible And I'd like to begin work on some sort of updated real line model for our connection Something that will reflect not so much what we all were Or think we were, but what we have become You'll never change, neither will I We'll stay the same 'til the days that we die I'll never win, neither will you So what in this world are we gonna do People hate change, they make a fuss They stay the same, people like us Folks wanna win, when they can choose But more important than that, folks don't wanna lose When did it start? How did it go wrong? Why in this world can't we get along? Each victory should be good news But when I have to win you're the one that I lose I wanna change, but I don't know how We need to change though, I know that now It's sad but it's true and I have to say That the days that we die aren't that far away You'll never change, neither will I We'll stay the same 'til the days that we die I'll never win, neither will you So what in this world are we gonna do?