Further Away From Home

The alarm clock screams at 6:00 AM, a heavy weight begins again.

The backpack feels like bags of stones, in crowded halls I'm all alone.

Fluorescent lights, they sting my eyes

Behind a mask, I'm all alright

Lies, a stack of paper, ink and red

And voices spinning in my head

And it's a long way down from top, top of the grade

When the light in the room starts to flicker and fade

I'm running a race with no finish in sight

Just staring at the ceilings in the middle of the night

These, they say these are the days I'll miss

When I'm grown

But I've never felt further away from home

Equations, sheets, and history dates

The crushing pressure of the stakes

My mother asks me why I'm so quiet

But my mind is screaming in a riot

I'm drowning in the "could have beens"

While scrolling through these perfect screens

The blue light burns, the coffee's cold

I'm feeling tired, I'm feeling old

It's more than just a lack of sleep

It's a hollow place that's far too deep

I'm checking boxes, playing parts

While holding back a breaking heart

The bells keep ringing, the world's moving on

But I'm still waiting for the dawn

And it's a long way down from top of the grade

When the light in the room starts to flicker and fade

I'm running a race with no finish sight

Just staring at the ceilings in the middle of the night

They say these are the days I'll miss

When I'm grown

But I've never felt further away from homeClose the book, turn the page

Just a bird inside a cage

Maybe tomorrow the sun will break through

But tonight, I'm just trying to make it too

(Fading out) make it two,

Just make it through