Render Delay

[Verse 1]
Your dot goes green above the PCH,
a tiny sun that sets at 2 AM.
I map the torque of every passing phase,
this preemptive eulogy I can't send.

[Chorus]
It’s the render delay, the space in the wire,
the buffered light before the signal dies.
It's the knowing the smoke before you see the fire.

[Verse 2]
The laptop's warm against the summer screen door,
the fan just hums a low C-sharp minor key.
You said, "it's just a light, nothing more,"
while tracing fault lines on my knee.

[Chorus]
It’s the render delay, the space in the wire,
the buffered light before the signal dies.
It's the knowing the smoke before you see the fire.

[Bridge]
And this whole damn grid we built is overloaded,
just one more surge before the circuits blow.
I watch you flicker, a message half-decoded...

[Chorus]
It’s the render delay, the space in the wire,
the buffered light before the signal dies.
It's the knowing the smoke before you see the fire.

[Outro]
And the light goes gray.
Signal loss.