Read Receipts

Since March there's no little "Read" beneath anything I send,
you hid it when you gave me back my key and called me "friend".
Still I text you after midnight, 'bout the dog, your sister's flight,
and I wake up to one word, sent at 3:18 last night.

It's never two, it's never four, it's always 3:18,
and I know you way too well to call it just routine.

You turned off read receipts, but you can't turn off 3:18,
you can say "ok", say "sure", the time says what you mean.
You hide the "Read" so I won't catch you reading me alone,
but no one's up at three for someone they've outgrown.
So tell your friends you're over me, go on, talk is cheap,
but I've got the receipts, and receipts are mine to keep.

You told my brother at his wedding that you're sleeping through the night,
that you're doing better, really, that you're finally alright.
And I nodded, raised my glass, and let you have your say,
'cause the proof was in my pocket: 3:18, "ok".

It's never two, it's never four, it's always 3:18,
and I know you way too well to call it just routine.

You turned off read receipts, but you can't turn off 3:18,
you can say "ok", say "sure", the time says what you mean.
You hide the "Read" so I won't catch you reading me alone,
but no one's up at three for someone they've outgrown.
So tell your friends you're over me, go on, talk is cheap,
but I've got the receipts, and receipts are mine to keep.

You used to wake at 3:18 and slide across the sheet,
put your hand flat on my chest until you felt it beat.
So I know what you were doing when your screen lit up at three:
you were reaching in the dark, and what you found was me.
But this morning your "ok" came in at 9:41,
and I read it fifteen times until I knew that we were done.

You turned off read receipts, and now you've turned off 3:18,
you still say "ok", but 9:41 says what you mean.
And I don't need that little "Read" to know I'm on my own,
'cause you weren't up at three, and I'm the one you've outgrown.
So tell your friends you're over me, it's true now, you're asleep,
and all I've got is receipts, and receipts are all I keep.

3:18…
now I'm the one awake.