The Ship That Never Came

We built an altar in the space between us
But the waves washed all the stones away
I traced your name in the sand this morning
But the tide stole it before the day

I kissed your letters like a rosary
Read each word until they burned
You were the shore I was trying to reach
But the current always turned


And if I never see your face again
If the ocean takes me whole
Tell the waves I loved you then
Tell the tide to take my soul


I memorized the shape of your absence
Drew it on the foggy glass
I slept in your side of the bed
Pretending you're not just a shadow from the past

The sailors tell me stories
Of a girl with your eyes and hair
They say she dances on the water
But I know she's already there


And if I never hold you again
If the fog never lifts for me
I'll paint your face on the horizon
And drown myself in the sea


You are the ship that never came
The lighthouse in a dying flame
I'm standing on the pier alone
Waiting for a ship that's already home
You are the ghost that never leaves
The salt that stings, the air I breathe
I'll wait forever on this shore
For the ship that doesn't come anymore



So take this letter, take this ring
Take this heart that refuses to sink
I loved you in life, I'll love you in death
I'll love you with my last breath