tried to slip by,
quietly,
in the night
until i came upon
another midnight run
obliged i was
to turn
my shield inside out
and bow in deference
to the folded wings
wondered why
the midnight run
and wondered how
it came to be

i was a child once
before i grew into
my midnight run
there was nothing
that i could not feel
they told me i was
beautiful
i didn’t think so
but it paid well
in Tokyo, London, Paris
and New York
so i folded my wings
and they told me
i was beautiful
i wanted to touch
but i was beautiful
and it paid so well
then one day
they told me i was
old
i didn’t think so
wasn’t i a child once
in Tokyo, London, Paris
and New York
i was a child once
i thought i’d earned
through grace
to be a child once
forever
and so i am
and so my midnight run
to somewhere
i’ll unfold my wings
to feel the child
that i was once
forever

tried to slip by,
softly,
in the night
until i came upon
another midnight run
obliged i was
to fold
my wings
beneath my skin
and dim in deference
to the shield turned inside out
wondered why
the midnight run
and wondered how
it came to be

i was a child once
before i grew into
my midnight run
there was nothing
that i could not feel
they told me i was
beautiful
i didn’t think so
because i had a world
to save
and i could not be
what they wanted to see
so i turned my shield
inside out
and they told me
i was beautiful
i wanted to fight
but i was beautiful
and had a world to save
then one day
they told me i was
dreaming
i didn’t think so
wasn’t i a child once
what happened
to the world i wanted to save
i was a child once
i thought i’d earned
through grace
to be a child once
forever
and so i am
and so my midnight run
to somewhere
i’ll turn my shield inside out
to feel the child
that i was once
forever

tried to slip by,
peacefully,
in the night
we were children once
before we grew into
our midnight run
there was nothing
that we could not feel
they told us
we were beautiful
and we were
children once
and through grace
we are
children once
forever
and so we are
and so our midnight run
to somewhere
and you’ll unfold
your wings
and i’ll turn my shield
inside out
and we’ll meet the child
once forever

and so
and so the midnight run
to somewhere
children are,
once forever.