Even the Dead Have Their Tasks

We pack up our gear And we're gone again Driven by passion, outward Away from family and friends But what they can't see Is that every day I'm drowning in a sea Of faces that I miss so desperately With each flashing countenance A torrent of emotion, joy, and memories The people I've grown to love so deeply Throughout the years I've chosen a big family And the weight of their absence Has brought me more than once to tears I wake from sleep violently Only to witness those lives and faces Disappear slowly behind me (I'm drowning) Again I'm pulled back into deep waters Washed further away from my sisters and brothers Am I truly living a dream When the only time I spend with you is in my sleep? How am I to stay the course, to remain bold When all those my heart longs for Remain firmly anchored at home Am I truly living a dream When the only time I spend with you is in my sleep? With every "it's-been-awhile" embrace I wish it could last an eternity Silently praying for the courage to say Oh God, how I've missed you! I've seen you in my sleep! We were laughing, crying, joking You know, the way it used to be Back when we younger and all that much more free I just hope you see that nothing's changed between you and me No matter the time we've spent apart I know it's not always easy to show it But please believe that I carried you in my heart That you were with me through every mile I could have sworn I saw your phantom standing in the aisle! It seems you already know what I'm thinking And that, even after all this time Some things still do go without saying We savored the taste of our sweet youth And now, with calloused hands, gather the remaining fruit To go any farther, we must endure further pains Skinned, mashed, and finally strained Fermenting in the time spent away Only to return with a fine vintage To cheers to the health of those who stayed