I was too weak to face myself
And you were collateral
The could have beens for the coward then
More ridiculous now from time's vantage
My vision of you and my perception of self
Completely incompatible

You came to me a woman
Your mind was made, your path was paved
I was still a boy and too much a fool
Honestly afraid of your power
To make my ego admit
That you were better than me

Now daunted by the vista of my ignorance
No longer scared to look I see how low I was
The frailty I grafted to you, the idea
Blinded me to your beautiful reality
But granted me solace in my fantasy
I was lying to myself

I was the weakling, I was the looser
But you were the one who lost.
Somehow you saw through my facade
Your heart smelled the love I buried deep
The potential man you offered your hand
Saw fate and ran away

Panic
Run down the masses, burn all the books
The rumor reigns
Stagnant
Psychic visions with spitting mouths and chained hands
Take their brains away

Monster
Defend it for pity of ugly
Evil with no shame
Fight fair
Hands up, lock eyes with a warrior of God
Shoot him in the back

Whisper
Truth to your heart, shared only sparing
Behind locked doors
Belief
Like the patron saint of ignorance
Justify your way

Hearsay
A circumstantial execution
Of virtue scorned
Heresy
Of one's who'd burn a world rather than bow a head
Deny imperfection

Held captive by the look of you
Hold stunned my eager breath
Beauty like the heart of winter
Untouched and frozen perfect

The distance holds as sterile
Desires of flesh and flesh
For innocent is yearning
If left sans recompense

The player's pride will sing of victory
In cheated games yet won by none
Play patient, suffer discipline
Fight fair or flight screams run

Still this life is set to spiral
And downward shapes the snare
Sacrifice self for sake of sympathy
Whose weight is this I bare?

Ballasts drag different on principle
Your load at least is novel
We float, we sail, we sink, we bail
Let the journey play the model

You've the scent of land uncharted
You've the glow of gold unowned
You're prospect seems so guarded
You've trapped my will in stone

You hide in trees like wisdom,
out of reach like play.
You move with nature's rhythm,
pliable as clay.
A rainbow sans the prism,
oh so far away.

A dream forever dancing,
pure as ****** dame.
All eyes at you though glancing,
cowards come the game.
For me a trip worth chancing,
freedom has no name.

Your laughter is the river,
my lifelong design.
Most yearn for just a sliver,
wholly you'll be mine.
A touch to make you quiver,
kiss flavoured divine.

Bliss pervades each step toward fate,
drifting destiny.
Please forgive if I show late,
beg your clemency.
Promise succour for your wait,
if eventually.

It’s not by force of credo
that I extend my hand for thee.
It’s not for want of glory
that my heart offers you its key.

I don’t catch you when falling
to save a damsel in distress.
Not a shoulder for crying,
rather a haven from your stress.

Not your knight or hero,
Simply a man and aching heart.
“Should” shapes no motivation,
My goal to play the part

Of your lover, of your boy.
Of your home away from home.
Of your confidant, your healer.
Of your guide ‘ever you roam.

Some cling to old rules and honors,
In truth Chivalry is dead.
Antique code is dry and dusty,
I give you Romance instead.

And there I left you
I imagine frozen
Arms extended
Half an embrace
Your other half turned
And escaped into space

I cut it off quick
Both cold and completely
Distance the drug
Running the pain
The thought of thinking
I could only abstain

I bleached the memory
Ultimately utter
White washed the wound
Erased our story
Refused to believe
It as allegory
But the facts still stand
It was killed by your hand
So though I ran
Please understand
It was not for freedom or glory