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thought-track 

by Courtney WZ
London, ON

in quarantine, music has hushed anxiety and filled the silences in between. lyrics linger in my head to form a collective beat. songs carry memories; they meld in remembrance of a moment. this is my thought-track—each line from a different song. a fugue of the collective moments of quarantine.

1.

don’t look ahead there’s stormy weather
tomorrow’s fire, let’s keep it close
and we’ll collect moments one by one

        I guess that’s how the future’s done

2.

three in the morning and I’m looking for air
but the world keeps spinning around
and I spend all my time
holding the atmosphere

        if we only got a moment

3.

point my eyes in the right direction
you’ve been praying for my health
and I’m carried by the sound

        feel my feet above the ground

4.

standing on the world outside
blackbird on my shoulder
couldn’t even see the sky

        I don’t need no more signs


3.

and I can feel you fade away
like the fire that we never lit
just say that you need me again

        but if we go, we go together

2.

we found the end of the moon and sun
floating like gravity has grown
how many acres how much light

        they’ll never break the shape we take

1.

we were built like concrete
watch the hours ticking by
wide awake in the starless blue

        the dust has settled here


_______________________

songs cited (in order of appearance)

Santigold. “Disparate Youth.” Master of My Make-Believe, 2012.
Declan J Donovan. “Tangerine Skies.” Tangerine Skies, 2020.
Feist. “Mushaboom.” Let It Die, 2004.
flora cash. “Missing Home.” Missing Home, 2019.
Kodaline. “High Hopes.” In A Perfect World, 2013.
Yuno. “No Going Back.” Moodie, 2018.
The Lumineers. “Sleep on the Floor.” Cleopatra, 2016.
Perfume Genius. “Slip Away.” No Shape, 2017.
The Head and the Heart. “Missed Connection.” Missed Connection, 2019.
Powfu ft. beabadoobee. “death bed (coffee for your head).” death bed (coffee for your head), 2020.
Sufjan Stevens. “Mystery of Love.” Mystery of Love, 2017.
Oh Wonder. “Shark.” Oh Wonder, 2015.
Joji. “Slow Dancing in the Dark.” Ballads 1, 2018.
Alec Benjamin. “Let Me Down Slowly.” Narrated for You, 2018.
Right Away, Great Captain! “Love, Come and Save Me.” The Bitter End, 2007.
Ruth B. “Slow Fade.” Slow Fade, 2019.
--- Courtney WZ is in her final year of a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and English Literature at Western University. She is the Editor-in-Chief of Western’s Arts and Humanities publications and the university's Student Writer-in-Residence. More of her thoughts can be found on Twitter @courtneyneue

Social Distanziner - Toronto, ON