These Hands

I see a man in the alley

Hood hiding heaps of grief

These supple hands are trembling

Coat tails pass in the breeze

I smell the fear in the alley

Hood hiding heirlooms of class

These tired hands are steady

My fate is tied to the mast

Every time I see you, I am not myself

I am acting, smiling, I'm not one of them

Will I teach my children how horrendous it feels

To draw the line between skins?

Ooh

I hear my name in the alley

Shouts flicker morse with the lights

Shots fire for no reason

Ghosts with their palms open wide

Every time I see you, I am not myself

I am acting, smiling, I'm not one of them

Will I teach my children how horrendous it feels

To draw the line between skins?

Dime

I

See

I drop a dime in the alley

Glimmers to bring him the news

These steady hands are trying

Though they've done nothing for you