BEARING WEAR

[Verse 1]
Three AM, the screen glow on the conduit maps I drew
Tracing property lines on a dream that's overdue
Runnin' load-bearing calculations, checkin' tolerances, it's true
This whole damn plan is engineered with friction burnin' through
The chassis of my sanity, I feel the metal stress
A hairline fracture in the promise, put the torque up to the test
For every ghost of Gary rustin' on the girders out here West
I'm drafting exit vectors from this generational mess

[Chorus]
This ain't hope, it's just the bearing wear
Feel the friction, see the porch light, swear that we're almost there
One more turn against the load, cut the voltage on the fear
This the blueprint I been drafting for a solid year

[Verse 2]
I still see the rust stains bloomin' where the kitchen faucet weeps
A slow corrosion creepin' while the rest of Broadway sleeps
Your silence holds a higher shear-strength than the secrets that it keeps
The foundation's full of fractures runnin' inches, runnin' deep
I hear the groan of failing joists, a sound you think is wind
Another system reaching failure point, where do I begin?
Said, "Everything's fine," I know the lie before you pull the pin
Just tryin' to build a bulkhead that the pressure can't get in

[Chorus]
This ain't hope, it's just the bearing wear
Feel the friction, see the porch light, swear that we're almost there
One more turn against the load, cut the voltage on the fear
This the blueprint I been drafting for a solid year

[Bridge]
(A woman's voice, over a phone, slightly distorted)
"You don't have to carry all that weight, baby. Just... just make sure your oil's changed. You sound tired."

[Outro]
File saved as 'Threshold.'
Engine's cold, but the torque holds.