The Faded Highlighter

[Intro]
[Verse]
Thrifted wool smells like old rain
Found a map inside the lining
Heavy pockets hide the pain
Of a sun that’s stopped shining
Folded tight against the seam
Waking up a dusty dream
[Pre-Chorus]
My thumb traces the edge
Of a silent, broken pledge
To leave this town behind
And see what I could find
[Chorus]
Yellow lines on paper skin
Where the journey didn't win
Small towns I never knew
Painted in a faded hue
Maybe I was meant to stay
To find a different kind of way
[Verse]
Ogallala's circled twice
In a ghost of neon green
I can almost taste the ice
In a world I've never seen
Did they stop for coffee there?
With the wind through tangled hair?
[Pre-Chorus]
The highlighter is pale
Like a very ancient tale
Of a girl I used to be
Before the world got hold of me
[Chorus]
Yellow lines on paper skin
Where the journey didn't win
Small towns I never knew
Painted in a faded hue
Maybe I was meant to stay
To find a different kind of way
[Bridge]
There’s a comfort in the miss
In the quiet, unearned kiss
Of a road that stayed a line
While I took my own sweet time
Now the mandolin is weeping
For the secrets I am keeping
But the golden light is soft
In this dusty attic loft
[Verse]
I’ll put the coat back on the hook
But I’ll keep the little book
Of the places left unscarred
In the back of my backyard
There is joy in staying still
Watching shadows climb the hill
[Chorus]
Yellow lines on paper skin
Where the journey didn't win
Small towns I never knew
Painted in a faded hue
Maybe I was meant to stay
To find a different kind of way
[Post-Chorus]
Quiet hope in every fold
Turning silver into gold
Tracing paths I didn't take
For my own heart's sake
[Outro]