Lyric

Mama said, "Be good to everyone."

The sentence stayed. She didn't

One night her ring was gone

She held a key to somewhere else

Papa caught the 6:10

In shoes he shined on Sundays

He never missed a morning

He was never late

One August, his shoes stayed by the door

The train kept time without him

Be good. Be good

Good for whom?

Keep your voice soft, keep your record clean

Stand where all the arrows point

Is this purity?

Tell me what it saves

Papa—

Say something

Haru said, "You're kind to everyone"—

Like everyone meant no one

She let my hand go at the crossing

Before the signal changed

Aki heard my no come out polite

And decided it meant maybe

I took his hand off my thigh

He put it back, still smiling

Mama's number lit my screen

I let it ring until it went dark

Her name was easy to erase

"Be good" was not

Too good. Too good

Good for whom?

Say your no softly. Make yourself useful

Keep your anger out of sight

You call that purity?

Tell me who it serves

Papa—

I'm listening

At 8:03 my badge says yes

Before I get a vote

They crop me square for the staff page

And soften my vowels for customers

Receipts curl inside my wallet—

Rent, rice, rail pass, aspirin

Natsu wears next year's wages

In a leather bag on her arm

Fuyu says, "You did well."

His eyes arrive a second late

The receipt says CHANGE DUE

The arrows say GO STRAIGHT

A line to stand behind

A line to sign my name

A line I mustn't cross

When someone crosses mine

They say one wrong move

And there's no coming back

Really?

Mama crossed the line

Papa stayed in line

The step was hers

The cost was his

He kept every rule but one:

"Be here tomorrow."

The company sent lilies

They arrived right on time

Everybody had a word for me

Papa, I needed yours

Be good. Be good

He was

Kept his voice low, kept his record clean

Stood where all the arrows pointed

Keep your purity

It never brought him home

Papa—

I'm still listening

I whisper to the night

I walk home against the arrows

Papa, I just wanted to talk tonight