I’ve been wandering round with my nose cut off 
I think it was trying to spite me
And I wish I wrote you a love song, but I didn’t
The morning’s hazy

The headline read “The Whole World is Watching You Fail!”
You know I hung on every word
And I really meant to write this down, but I couldn’t
Call me crazy

If I break my lungs and turn them into mockingbirds
Would I ease up on myself?
If I break my promises and make them something better
Would you tell me I’ve done well?

I’m hearing voices and they say, “don’t forget her”
And I will do anything I’m told
Another day, another doleful endeavor
Got a reputation to uphold

The headline left out a few minor details…

If I break my lungs and turn them into fighting words
Is it something I could sell?
If I break my promises and make them something better
Would it be good for my health?

Twenty fractured ribs
Okay, I guess I deserve it
One more legion to dispel
Twenty questions, twenty silences
A rejection letter
Is this how the empire fell?

© Mackenzie Shivers 2020

Rejection Letter

Mackenzie Shivers invites you into her world and empowers your soul. The Woodstock, NY-based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist began writing music and playing piano when she was four years old, telling her mother she had music inside of her that “needed to come out.” Always at the mercy of the muse inside, Shivers has continued honing her craft ever since. Her 2021 release Rejection Letter, deemed “a masterpiece” by KUTX, combines a cinematic landscape with intimate, compelling sincerity. Shivers takes each sound, each vocal utterance, and nurtures them in their simplest form. Like all true artists, her sound is constantly evolving yet instantly recognizable. Listening to her work leaves you with no doubt that you’ve entered the vibrant and imaginative world of its creator.