Working in a kitchen in Ohio, got a message on my phone.
My mom was saying, I’m having a hate it here kind of day.
My family doesn’t have a tradition of saying what we feel.
The words I hate it here, they hit my chest and ricocheted.

It never occurred to me that she could feel out of place,
That she could have, like me, hard days.

She said they only happen once in awhile and she hesitates to say it.
Thanks for being there, she said. I think you can relate.

It never occurred to me that she could feel out of place,
That she could have, like me, hard days.

Out here in Ohio I’ve been feeling low,
Missing mountains, missing the ocean,
Missing friends from home.

Getting back to work in the kitchen, her words slow down my hands, I’m thinking,
Maybe, maybe I should talk to her. She’s someone who can understand.

It never occurred to me that she could feel out of place,
That she could have, like me, hard days.