Everest

Ani DiFranco

From the depth of the pacific
to the height of everest
and still the world is smoother 
than a shiny ball-bearing
so I take a few steps back 
and put on a wider lens
and it changes your skin, 
your sex, and what your wearing
distance shows your silloutte 
to be a lot like mine
like a sphere is a sphere 
and all of us here 
have been here all the time

You brought me to church, 
cinder blocks, flourescent light
you brought me to church 
at 7o'clock on a sunday night
and the band was rocking 
and the floors were scrubbed clean
and everybody had a tambourine

So I took a deep breath and became 
the white girl with the hair
and you sat right beside me 
while everybody stared
and through the open window 
I think the singing went outside
and floated up to tell 
all the stars not to hide
cuz by the time church let out 
the sky was much clearer 
and the moon was so beautiful, 
that the ocean held up a mirror

As we walked home we spoke slowly
we spoke slow, 
and we spoke lowly
like it was taking more time 
than usual to choose
the words to go 
with your squeaky sandle shoes
like time is not a thing 
that's ours to lose 

From the height of the pacific
to the depths of everest