Disconnect

“Disconnect”

Don’t come say hi, and when you leave don’t bother saying bye

You could stay

Just smile and stare- don't stop and question if you really care

You could stay- just for the moment, just for the day 

I waited at the door, didn’t mean to ask for more

They only see your skin- They can't see where you end or you begin

Don't run away- just for the moment for the day...

I waited at the door, didn’t mean to ask for more

 Just smile and stare- don't stop and question if you really care

Let's run away- just for the moment, just for the day... 

Charlie had been playing this diddy for weeks, pushing me to write on it.  Although I tried to vocalize, no words were coming… Until one night, we were all at the open mic.  Mr. Mister was flirting his way around the bar.  I stood at the door, hopeful, but he did not seem interested.  Hurt, I let Charlie drive me home.  By the time we got back to my apartment, the tears were falling.  Charlie picked up the guitar, and before I knew it, the song wrong itself.

Minutes later, my phone would ring.  Mr. Mister.

“Don’t answer it,” Charlie warned me.

“Of course, I’m going to answer it.”

That night the three of us shared a bottle of whiskey and played board games.  Mr. Mister slept in my bed.  Charlie slept on my couch.

I never asked whether Mr. Mister and Charlie discussed my songwriting.  I told myself it didn’t matter what inspired “Disconnect”… The more I let such thoughts linger on my mind, the less I wanted to perform the song.

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One night at the Pub open mic a stranger was playing standards... His technique was clean, his voice charming.  I took the initiative to sing harmonies with him on more than one tune.  It was fun... I did not think of it as flirting, but soon I found him next to me at the bar.

I was so naive.  I was still processing the whole door-kicking event... and here I was, at Mr. Mister's open mic, with this handsome stranger charming me.

Jube gave me a Dum Dum lollipop... It was still in my mouth, when the stranger went in for a kiss.  No spark.  Pure confusion and surprise.  What now?  I hesitantly took the confection out of my mouth and let him plant his lips on me again.  Again, nothing.

...As he left that night, he said to me, "You should be more impulsive."

"Impulsive?  I just kicked in a guy's door..."

...Later Mr. Mister would inform me the stranger was Bethie's musical crush.  The one she had told me about.  The one who had broken her heart.

I panicked and called her to confess, to assure her- had I known... and even if he had not been who he was... Never...

One can never be too careful.  It is a small world.