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The Gift Lyrics by Ocean Vuong

Night Sky with Exit Wounds

2016

a b c a b c a b c
She doesn't know what comes after.
So we begin again:
a b c a b c a b c
But I can see the fourth letter:
a strand of black hair --- unraveled
from the alphabet
& written
on her cheek.
Even now the nail salon
will not leave her: isopropyle acetate,
ethyl acetate, chloride, sodium lauryl
sulfate & sweat fuming
through her pink
I ❤️️ NY t-shirt
a b c a b c a -- the pencil snaps.
The b bursting its belly
as dark dust blows
through a blue-lined sky.
Don't move, she says, as she picks
a wing bone of graphite
from the yellow carcass, slides it back
between my fingers.
Again. & again
I see it: The strand of hair lifting
from her face... how it fell
onto the page -- & lived
with no sound. Like a word.
I still hear it.
Credits
Ocean Vuong

Ocean Vuong

About “The Gift” by Ocean Vuong

Read the complete lyrics to "The Gift" by Ocean Vuong from the album "Night Sky with Exit Wounds" in 2016. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music, Literature.

"The Gift" is performed by Ocean Vuong. from the album "Night Sky with Exit Wounds" in 2016 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "The Gift", explore more songs by Ocean Vuong using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"The Gift" is credited to Ocean Vuong. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"The Gift" appears on "Night Sky with Exit Wounds" in 2016.

Visit the Ocean Vuong artist page at /artist/ocean-vuong for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.