PYLON PRAYER

[Verse 1]
The sun off the glass of the Peachtree Plaza was blinding us proper.
March 29th, me and Simone in the Mazda, radio choppa.
Felt like a blueprint, the final draft, everything locked in.
No stress fractures showing, no spalling yet, no oxygen
leaking from the seal. Just the hum of the A/C, that specific ozone smell.
You were painting your nails that metallic blue from the shop on Buford Highway, I could tell
by the fumes we were good for at least one more season.
Didn't need a reason, just north on the connector, believing.

[Chorus]
Oh, Atlanta, the smoke looked like worship rising off the concrete spine.
We saw the fire from the overpass and thought it was a sign.
Just a column of ash for some god we never met.
Didn't know it was a structural failure yet.

[Verse 2]
Next day, every station got the same chyron crawling on the screen.
The detour signs went up, a whole new traffic pattern, you know what I mean.
And we had our own rerouting, our own new set of rules.
Separate lawyers drawing new lines with their sharp little tools.
Your new man, he works in logistics, I think that's kinda funny.
You said, "Kaelen, it's not about the money," then you asked about the money.
I guess tensile strength is just a number 'til the rebar's exposed.
And that crack in the phone screen matches the fault line, I suppose.

[Bridge]
(Yeah)
(Load-bearing...)
(Gone...)
(Shear wall...)
(Just... gone.)

[Outro]
I still drive the surface streets sometimes, just to see the scar.
Thank you for the fire, before we knew what we were.