Jason Robert Brown

One More Thing Than I Can Handle

Between the look and the look away,
I saw paragraphs on paragraphs of wanting Written in the space around your eyes
And the corners of your smile.

Between the look and the look away,
I heard, louder than the bells of a cathedral, Ev’rything you wish that you could ask
If we only were alone,
If you only could be sure
That your life would never know…

But that’s one more thing than I can handle, One more cross than I can bear.
God, you’re beautiful,
God, it would be easy to say yes,
But that’s just
One more thing than I can handle,
One more way I mustn’t care.
Take me like a photograph,
Put me in a drawer beside your fantasies, And leave me there.

Between the look and the look returned,
I made hundreds of frenetic calculations, Measuring the distance to my train,
And the light inside the bar
And the force beneath your arms,
What I’d say if we got caught…

But that’s one more thing than I can handle, One more choice that isn’t fair.
God, you’re beautiful,
God, it would be nice to acquiesce,
If only, if only it weren’t
One more thing than I can handle,
One more never answered prayer.
Close me like a bank account,

Drop me at the bottom of your memories And leave me there.

Leave me empty,

Leave me dry,
Leave me hanging on the branch to rot.
You might be strong enough,
You might be strong enough…
But I’m not.
I’m not.

It’s just one more thing than I can can handle,
One more cross than I can bear.
God, you’re beautiful,
God, it would be easy to say
If only, if only, if only, if only it weren’t
One more thing than I can handle.
One more castle in the air.
Hide me like an accident.
Watch me walk away,
Light me in the window of your could-have beens, And leave me there.
Leave me there.
Leave me there.