Nightswimming

Posted on Monday, 30 March 2020 - 10:25pm by Lieutenant Ryan Rose MD

OOC: Feel free to skip this post if songfic is not your thing. I totally understand and don't blame you. This is more a dual cathartic release for Ryan and myself.

Ryan took Emerick's orders to heart. He went to his quarters, showered, changed into comfortable clothes then headed to the holodeck. He called up a program that was nothing but a baby grand piano in an empty room. It had been far too long since he'd had an opportunity to play on a real piano rather than the simple keyboard he kept in his quarters.

The introductory notes resonated through the perfect acoustics of the empty room, joined by Ryan's natural baritone after the opening bars.

Nightswimming deserves a quiet night
The photograph on the dashboard, taken years ago
Turned around backwards so the windshield shows
Every streetlight reveals the picture in reverse
Still, it's so much clearer
I forgot my shirt at the water's edge
The moon is low tonight

Nightswimming deserves a quiet night
I'm not sure all these people understand
It's not like years ago
The fear of getting caught
Of recklessness and water
They cannot see me naked
These things, they go away
Replaced by everyday

Nightswimming, remembering that night
September's coming soon
I'm pining for the moon
And what if there were two
Side by side in orbit
Around the fairest sun?
That bright, tight forever drum
Could not describe nightswimming

You, I thought I knew you
You I cannot judge
You, I thought you knew me
This one laughing quietly underneath my breath
Nightswimming
The photograph reflects, every streetlight a reminder
Nightswimming deserves a quiet night, deserves a quiet night

Ryan closed the lid of the piano as the final note stopped reverberating and laid his forehead on the cold wood, just breathing.

End OOC: Nightswimming by R.E.M (automatic for the people)