Lighter and ash

Yeah, flick the ash, watch the clock, let the timer run,

Told myself a million times that I was finally done.

But the air gets thin when the sun goes down,

And silence is the loudest thing in this empty town.

I’m pacing on the hardwood, shadows on the wall,

Waiting on a "miss you" or a late-night call.

But the phone stays dark and the room stays cold,

Just another story that’s already been told.

It’s a cheap high, a slow burn, a habit I can’t quit,

You’re the fire on the end of it—and I’m the one that’s lit.

Yeah, the smoke rings look like halos when I close my eyes,

Maskin' all the bitterness and all the tired lies.

I'm just breathing in the ghost of what we used to be,

While the nicotine is doing all the talkin' for me.

Now my jacket smells like regrets and 3:00 AM,

Stuck in a cycle of "never again" and "just one then."

You were the rush, the kick in the chest,

Now I’m just settling for whatever is left.

I’m burning through the pack just to feel the spark,

‘Cause you left a hole that’s twice as wide as the dark.

One more drag, one more minute in the haze,

Trying to find a way out of this blue-tinted maze.