Dragon on the Iron Rail
[Chorus]
Dragon on the fire escape, watching from the grate
Blowing sparks whenever I begin to hesitate
Every time the screen begins to pull me down
He puffs a cloud of gray and makes a little sound
Get up, he seems to say, the time is turning tight
You have songs to burn before the fading of the light
Verse 1
Third-floor walkup, paint is peeling back
Radiator banging like a heart attack
Head is full of buzzing, emails left unread
Cable wire landmines right beside the bed
I slide the window up to get a little air
Smell of gasoline and pizza on the stair
Right there on the railing, breathing smoke and gray
A tiny lizard watching in a weary way
Verse 2
Scales the color of a rusted soda tin
Wings are dirty from the city and the sin
Eyes like traffic lights just stuck upon the green
Blowing rings of vapor, the strangest thing I’ve seen
I drop the coffee cup, he catches with a claw
Sets it on the ledge, defies the gravity law
Tilts his head and looks at all the mess inside
Deciding if I’m worth the time or just a slide
Pre-Chorus
No ancient story, no message from the sky
Just a scaly creature with a cynical eye
But something in the chest begins to wake and beat
A part of me that wanted fire and the heat
[Chorus]
Verse 3
I feed him bits of bagel and the noodle scraps
He sleeps upon the speaker while taking little naps
Vibrating the chest whenever chords ring true
Hissing when the notes are turning sad and blue
When I start to spiral, worrying on rent
He nudges at the hand until the time is spent
Drawing little pictures in the margin lines
A monster on the roof to read the city signs
Pre-Chorus
Problems don’t just vanish, the landlord calls again
Anxiety is dripping from the ceiling like the rain
But the dragon on the metal keeps appearing there
Setting fire to the pity hanging in the air
[Chorus]
Bridge
Maybe he gets big enough to fly away
Carrying the heavy weight of every day
Or maybe he stays small and keeps the watch right here
A witness to the struggle and the constant fear
When the morning hits and I just want to fold
I think about the dragon in the bitter cold
Waiting on the iron, tapping on the bar
Reminding me exactly who and what we are
Outro
No one sees the magic clinging to the brick
But I can feel the heat, the air is getting thick
Dragon on the escape, settles for the tune
My room is feeling closer to the rising moon