In The Diner

At five past midnight
Under a flickering "OPEN" sign
That went out just as soon as I walked through the door

In the diner in late july
I found the meaning of life
And what every patron and waitress that night was waiting for

I sat alone in a back booth
Stumbled over some half truths
About how I was expecting someone, and I'd be needing the extra room

The waitress was listless
Working overtime and double shifts
And staring longingly at the door

The tragic parody of adult life
Was playing out in front of me that night
Like a dream where you wanna run, but your legs have all but died

And I could've sat with some old friends near the front
The uninvited guests in the town we're from
And shared the lives we've lived with the strangers we've become

Or I could've sat on a barstool and had a drink
To forget the things I had to do that week
All the hearts I'd have to break, and all the homes I'd have to leave

Or I could've called over the waitress who came undone
Confessed that I'm not waiting for anyone
And if you'd like, I think you oughta sit with me when you're done

But the door had just finished swinging shut
And the manager was spitting and cursing her luck
The waitress was already gone