

Prompt / Lyrics
[Verse 1] He came in late again Mud on his jeans Said the truck broke down On some backroad stream Sat in the second row Eyes on his desk Flinched when I joked About “tough homes” in jest [Chorus] Those were the bruises he covered up Long sleeves in August, collar pulled shut “I’m fine, just clumsy,” that little half-smile I graded his papers, missed every sign Thought I had time But the truth bled out in a long, cold night And the morning news said it all Too late to pick up his call [Verse 2] Parent-teacher conference “Boy’s doin’ fine” His daddy’s handshake Felt like a warning line He asked for extra work Said, “Can I stay?” I turned off the lights Sent him on his way [Chorus] With all the bruises he covered up Long sleeves in August, collar pulled shut “I’m fine, just clumsy,” that little half-smile I stacked up excuses, same as he tried Both of us blind Till the sirens screamed through the sleepless night And his empty chair in the fall Hit harder than any fall [Bridge] Now every quiet kid That won’t meet my eyes I hear his voice in theirs I don’t let it slide (no more) Walk past his picture In the old yearbook My name on the page Can’t stand to look [Chorus] These are the bruises we all cover up Secrets and stories we pad and we tuck “I’m fine, just busy,” my own practiced line But I see his desk in the back of my mind Frozen in time If I ever hear “I’m fine” said that tight I’ll stay till the walls all fall ’Cause silence can finish the job That started with one hidden mark on a small boy’s arm
Tags
country, Sparse, gravel-dry country ballad with male vocals; close-miked acoustic guitar and brushed snare, bass low and slow. First verse stays hushed and intimate, then a small organ pad and distant pedal steel swell into the chorus. Bridge pulls instruments down to near-silence for a heavy vocal moment, then final chorus returns with stacked harmonies and a cracked, late-night delivery., sad
3:46
No
2/18/2026