TumbleDweeeb

Red Flags, Red Lights
Part I of a three-part fictional character study examining miscommunication, intrusive thought, and self-reflection.
A Multisyllabic, Whimsy, Stream of Consciousness Rhyme
By: Emmitt Owens
(Index #01042026)

[Verse 1]
I said “maybe lunch” like a shrug with a smile
She heard “future plans,” heard “pressure,” heard “trial”
I got more free time than a retired clock
Even my hustle hit me back like “nah, I’m good, you rock”

She out here building walls, I’m just stacking jokes
I throw confetti punchlines, she ducking like “whoa, slow down, folk”
I don’t chase, I meander, I zig when I nap
She’s running from finish lines I ain’t even put on the map

I joke in italics, she reads it in bold
I said “lunch” she heard “shit’s moving too fast, I need control”
I texted “tacos?” she saw red flags and speed
I mentioned Tuesday, she thought I was planning to breed

[CHORUS]
What I said: “Maybe grab some food?”
What she heard: “This is moving, dude”
What I meant: nothing, just vibes
What she thinks: red flags, red lights

[Verse 2]
She thought I was rushing—I was buffering life
I’m on airplane mode, she think I booked the flight
I move so relaxed even urgency quit
My motivation shows up late like “sorry, I slept in that shit”

She’s stress-testing every word that I said
I’m just vibing in the moment, she’s three steps ahead—running
I said lunch with no weight on the ask
She heard timelines, expectations, relationship traps

I’m absurd on purpose—comic relief, that’s the mission
She’s hunting for meaning, I’m just existing
I said “that’s dope” she thought I meant “too deep, too soon”
I said “word” she started planning her escape by noon

I bend words like yoga, she thought I bent rules
I laugh mid-sentence, she tightens the screws
I’m lighting candles for ambiance, she sees stage-five scheming
I suggested Netflix, she heard “commitment” screaming

[CHORUS]
What I said: “Maybe grab some food?”
What she heard: “This is moving, dude”
What I meant: nothing, just vibes
What she thinks: red flags, red lights

[Bridge]
Maybe past dudes fucked her up—cool, walls up, fair
But I can’t chase ghosts of assholes who ain’t even there
She built a whole movie off a one-word text
I’m just trying to eat tacos, she’s planning what’s next

[Verse 3]
I said “you’re cool”—she heard “he’s catching feelings, abort”
I said “come over”—now she’s filing mental reports
I yawned in her presence, she thought it meant comfort and trust
I stretched on her couch, she felt pressured and rushed

So she can keep the panic, the boundaries, the space
I’ll be over here napping while she picks up the pace—away from me
The lunch still pending, floating somewhere between
“He’s moving too fast” and “What’s he mean?” Just. Fucking. Lunch. Queen.

No beef, no chase, no hard sell pitch
Just a dude with time and a mouth full of bits
She wants distance? I’m already gone with the breeze
While she’s running from nothing, I’m just trying to eat—peacefully

[CHORUS – OUTRO]
What I said: “Maybe grab some food?”
What she heard: “This is moving, dude”
What I meant: nothing, just vibes
What she thinks: fed flags, red lights

She thinks I’m falling ’cause she smiled twice?
Fuck that.
She’s not a prophet—she’s just used to desperate dudes.
That ain’t me.
I got everything I needed ‘cept somethin’ to eat.