“Waiter, send this to the table, the party of one”
The only other lonely soul in this place
And so you’re finishing up your coffee, but then where you’re gonna run?
Where’d you get that look on your face?

You should always let the sun go down on your anger
Let it burn you to sleep
Bring it closer to danger, to surrender and retreat
Sing your sad soul to sleep

Don’t even think about your freedom or taking that flight
Or going back upon your promise after fighting for the right
Because your eggshells and your right statements
And your weaponized words, are paper tigers now

Oh, your constant overthinking and your secretive drinking
Are making it more and more alone
And girl, I could slam the door behind you, it ain’t never gonna close
Because when you’re home, you’re already home

I am tired
I am tired

I don’t wanna go home anymore
I don’t wanna throw stones anymore
I don’t wanna take part in the war

I loved you the first time I saw you
And you know I love you still
But I am tired
And I am yours

Oh, I am tired
But I’m coming home
-Brandi Carlile

This is the last song from the album “By the Way, I Forgive You” that I will use as a entry title. Leaving only one album of Brandi songs to use as entry titles for our Thursdays together.

While this song is about the complexity of any relationship, it was written in particular about the unique struggles same-sex couples face.

She told Billboard:

“I don’t think marriage is work, but I hear straight couples asked all the time, ‘Do you feel different now that you’re married?’ And they’re like, ‘Hell, no,’ because marriage is an institution they’ve had access to since the beginning of time. But it is different for us. That’s what [album-closer] ‘Party of One’ is about: No matter how epic the fight is, you always have to ask yourself what you can do to stay.”

And

This is a song about deep and enduring compassion. It’s about trying to navigate domesticity, love and particularly marriage whilst being willed to fail by those that would revoke that right if they could.

Brandi went on to re-record this song as a duet with Sam Smith to raise money for Children in Conflict.

But what does Children in Conflict do? From their website:

“When conflict happens our teams are one of the first to arrive. And when the dust settles, we are the last to leave. We respond to the urgent needs of vulnerable children in war-torn areas by providing critical support such as psychosocial care, reunification with families, places to feel safe, providing an education and equipping them with the skills for the future in Ukraine, Yemen, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Afghanistan and Iraq.”

But while I hope that provides you an even greater appreciation for Brandi, Thursday are for flowers! Yes, I know some of my flowertography haters were hoping this week’s dedication to black & white photography would give them a Thursday respite from flowertography. But my hater friends, there is no rest for the wicked.

Here is a small collection of flower pictures taken in my yard:

Next Thursday’s flowertography images will be even more pictures from my yard!