As Kind as You Can

They got married on a Tuesday night in April Her sister as a witness, and her sister's man The dog lying on the kitchen tile as usual The words written on the back of the commissioner's hand The words written on the back of the commissioner's hand They always said a big wedding wasn't needed They always said they'd probably always be in love All they really needed to hear, dressed in their everyday clothes The words written on the back of the commissioner's hand Be as kind as you can If I ever become What you can't understand The children were keeping their vigil over the spring The water was weeping with rhythm and tone and shade They decided together the finest color of all was green Everyone else was away somewhere at war They wrote a letter, it said that we hope you come home winners They wrote another that said, "We hope the others do the same" Remember, everyone is dying of thirst By the time they make it back to the spring Everyone is reading the words off the back of their hand Be as kind as you can If I ever become What you can't understand Teddy never made it home Said he saw a UFO Woke up in the rapeseed field Behind the old department store in the mall And as the sun was coming up All he knew was that he'd been somewhere And the sound of the words going 'round in his head So weirdly familiar, like the back of his hand Be as kind as you can If I ever become What you can't understand