Just a Nightmare

You left in the middle of the night

Gone out to help in the firefight

I woke to see you get that call

And see you race down the hall

Your car roars as you turn the key

You don’t know what it does to me

I hear your tires down the driveway

And there’s nothing I can do or say

I wait to hear you return at dawn

See your face against the lawn

But when I hear a car pull up

I just want to keep my eyes shut

Because I know it’s not your car

That’s not how these things are

I hear the crunch of feet on the walk

None of them yours and I hear a knock

It’s all just a nightmare

I know I’ll wake to see your stare

But then I realize it’s not a dream

No one’s there to stop my scream