There's a man outside doing karate
While squawking children hang from rails in the bus
He looks as though he's dancing
Somewhat graceful in the fresh cold of the morning air
While we remain inside
Recycling stale breath
Trying to block out the loud shouts of
Small people
Who don't understand what it is to be human yet
Who haven't experienced enough life
To know what we do

There's a sense of certainty that hangs in this old air
We will leave at 9.15
The kids will be alright
The bus ride for them will be exciting
We will arrive at the train station
We will say thanks to the driver
Who made them pay three times the price
Because they paid in the wrong currency
And they don't know how else to get home
A man hums at the back of the bus
Waiting to get off
Dreaming of the other end of this island

The passport control said no photos
The armed police stood behind made it sure
The ferry on the horizon disappeared from view
Taking with it bad memories
Fourteen hours of bad sleep, card games and anger
Screaming into pillows
Kicking the walls
Throwing the coat hangers
Before slumping to the ground
Defeated
And reading ourselves to sleep
Voices hanging in the still air
Reminding us that we are still alive

We don't talk about what's happened;
That would be against the rules
We never talk about what we've done
Though it's hard to forget
Instead we quote others
Who've expressed better our sentiments
Talking in tongues we communicate more clearly than ever
Our laughs masking the pain inside
Our shouts covering the quiet voices inside
Who remind us of the bad in this world,
Who remind us of the choices we've made in this life.

Still, we remain undefeated.