Stove by a Whale

Sailin' on the sea
It's teal
Your meal was alright
But not the captain's voice
It made me shake and squirm
Not in what you hear
But feel
Surrealy thrust between
What accents mean
And what you think they should

And I'm not talkin' bout just bein' a mile up in the air
And I'm not talkin' down to people who are livin' there

But Stateside at the quay
You fear
The nearness of that auld familiar distance
Between everything and you
The distance keeps us safe
From waves
Of subcutaneous problems that our government
And our accents
And our parents
Have us swimmin' in
All that sin
Has soaked us through and through and through and through

And I'm not talkin' to the people who've been in jail
And I'm not talkin' 'bout just wanting to belong somewhere
And let's not talk about the colour of your eyes or your hair.
I'm talkin' 'bout talkin' 'bout the colour of the sea from way up there