I find myself reaching for heights greater than my own
Scaling obstacles, like the decaying crumble of buildings

every inch of me searching for something to hold on to
Some sort of purchase to bring my tumble to an ending

and give me a moment to pick up the pieces

I am Striving

To be the man you once imagined I would
Trying hard to dress the part of your eyes reflection

To improve upon that young girls idea of what it meant to be a man
To stand a little taller in hopes of procuring the stars



I am Striving

To turn back time
To climb on to that roof where whispered words were exchanged from trembling lips while the summer stars hung bright above the trees and
Listen
Listen to the sharp intake of breath as we both suddenly realized how far we’d fallen
Not knowing that we had climbed so high...
Never knowing what it meant to hit the ground


Our impact shook the world

I am Surviving
The earthquake that cracked our foundation

The unmitigated mess I’ve made of our moments
Me left staring at my fragmented reflection, wondering how I got so far off track
 


I am Surviving
One day at a time

One foot above the next

Climbing over shattered summer rooftops
Trying to clear the pieces of the home we built

Searching for where my road begins

Still not knowing what it meant to fall so hard

Breathe in that bitter chill

Feel the shift in the whispering wind as it runs its icy fingers down your spine and be grateful

Your lives will span all seasons

Most will see the world through misdirected eyes

Unable to glimpse the glory of the shifting tides

Unable to grasp the necessity of frostbitten evenings and wish for a memory that falls slowly by the wayside

Blanketing the earth with forgotten lovers and lazily drifting friend ships that never stayed in port long enough for their wood to remember their roots

But there is a beauty in this

In fading thoughts like falling leaves spiraling out of control, 
bowing out so new memories may bloom

Breathe in that bitter chill

Do you feel it now?

The grace of a world that knows its time is past and is preparing to exit stage left


But not before introducing the next act

With a flourish and a bow it retires backstage   

Making way for new songs to be played, a young bud to show a more vibrant shade

Somehow we forget that the intermission is still a part of the show



With thunder over the horizon I'm torn between my natures

Do I seek shelter from the cloud's changing tides?

Or dance in a summer downpour and let it wash away my old beginning?

Mix my human condition with animalistic intentions 

Start from scratch, cause the rain took away the itch

The one that can only come from staying in one place for too long




Exit stage left

Will you kindly put your hands together for me, starting over.