Let Babylon Burn - He Called It Tired

He'd practise telling someone, then hear how it would sound
And ask about their children when they finally came round
He knew who'd lost a father.
He knew who couldn't pay
There was always someone hurting, so he'd put his own away
“Fine” was getting hard to say.
“Tired” was close enough
A word that let him tell the truth without telling very much
He called it tired...
Such a little word
A whole life underneath it, and only that got heard
No sleep could reach the place in him that ached