Voiceover - Fred Thomas

When the lights come on I’ll have been awake for hours

A thin film of sweat on my skin

Partial lists of pink dawn reflections clogging my mind

But no progress and another dead kid in my feed

More words screamed about *Life After Money*

But it’s fuzzy, still unclear how far a voice can really reach

I’m watching each contender surrender whatever

They say «I don’t even care!

I just want to feel better!»

You talk about your enemies, that doesn’t really interest me

I’m grateful just to be considered

As possibly something more than just

A cloud of distressed emotions

A custodian of regular feelings

So much of the time I am speculation, snark and argument

But that «Dirty Boots» video from when I was a kid

I still remember trusting it

And I saw an unbroken world where everything was explained

And the people survived

Everyone was alive

And everyone kissed and every kiss was forgotten

Seconds after it happened

Everyone was swimming

Everyone was in love and nobody cared

In my dreams I get visits from every beautiful being who’s ever left me

They kiss my face, they tell me they miss me, they love me

They want to protect me

I say «I miss you, too!

I’m trying to be something better for you.»

I’m trying to scratch through to the immaculate core

That gets hidden in the center of all these regular feelings

All those regular feelings

All those laundromat feelings

All those grocery store feelings

All those canker sore feelings

All those overdraft feelings

Second place feelings

You’re just like anyone else feelings

All those regular feelings

All those internet feelings

All those angry dad feelings

All those White Castle feelings

All those left behind feelings

Those student loan feelings

Those D.U.I.

feelings

The phones-about-to-die feelings

Unpopular feelings

Your UTI feelings

Those bus station feelings