Passing Through

I was born where the wind knows my name,

Where the land’s got my family brand,

Every fence, every mile, every claim

Has my father’s shake of the hand.

I learned early how to stay quiet,

How to swallow words before they form,

I’ve been standing in rooms full of people

Feeling strangely alone.

You were just passing through Casper,

Just killing a couple of days,

I said things I’d never spoken

’Cause you weren’t gonna stay.

I thought being honest was harmless

If it stayed in the dark,

You were just passing through Casper…

But you cracked open my heart.

You’d been fixing power lines up in Sheridan,

Your car broke down just outside of town,

The road gets lonely, but you don’t mind,

Or at least that’s what you said.

We talked while the engine idled,

Till my voice started shaking instead,

You didn’t flinch when I finally said

The feelings I’ve always had.

You were just passing through Casper,

Working on your truck for a couple of days,

I felt something start growing

With every day you stayed.

I tried not to lean too close,

Tried not to cross that line,

You were just passing through Casper…

But you cracked my heart open wide.

You said, “You don’t owe them silence

Just because they all know your name,”

And it hit me harder than anything

Anyone ever claimed.

So I told the truth at the kitchen table,

Hands flat, barely breathing in,

Then I pointed my truck toward Denver

To see who I might have become.

You were just passing through Casper,

And maybe that’s all we were,

I don’t know if this ends in love

Or just something braver than before.

But I’m tired of watching my life

Like it’s something passing by,

You were just passing through Casper…

But you cracked my heart open wide.

I don’t need a promise or a perfect plan,

Just a chance to live out loud,

If you’re there, I’ll knock on the door—

If not, I won’t lose what I found.