It seems I know a stranger
better than I know myself
I once believed the paper
now I to believe something else
what to think about my neighbor
and how the ice melts
Being afraid wasn’t my nature
I can’t find anything now that helps

I’ll decide on Mondays
It’s already a bad day anyway
I’ll see what the news says
And forget it at the end of the day
Then I will begin to pray
And hope God shows me a way
To not worry about hiding food away
in a cave when autumn skies turn gray

I don’t live near a seaside;
where the land becomes the coast
I can’t see the continental divide
or even an old ranch fence post
I wondered where a child might hide
Away from the sticks and ghosts
When I realized fear was a poor guide
I thought about what I loved most

It wasn’t anything new really
I had to stop trying to be something
Making rhymes and acting silly
is what a child’s heart can bring
I once knew a girl who was pretty
and even gave her a diamond ring
But what should I do with a memory
When tomorrow says don’t bring a thing?

It is your decision
How do you want to live?
Clinging to what is wrong for you
To assuage your loneliness?
Or facing your fears
And taking control of your life?
There is always an answer
You are too beautiful to settle
Love and loyalty
A virtue and a curse
You have made no vow to God
You only have a feeling
And one day you will discover your gifts
But how far away will they be?
There is no time to love what cannot learn for itself
It is instead time to love what is worthy of you
If only you believed in you

It was so easy
To make a man love her
Or to think she loved him
They could meet on Tuesday
She would then pick the day
At least until the weekend
He would be thinking of flowers by then
And breakfast
It wasn't ******
Being lonely wasn't her idea
Besides men don't ask questions too soon
That was good
She had nothing to say like that
It was better to seem simple minded
It made him feel secure
While she grew apart from him before church
Guilt made it seem as if she tried
Even though she knew it was a lie
She wasn't in charge of civilization anyway
Only the condition of her heart
She thought of her new name for next week
Bronte
Yes that would make him write poetry
What else can a man do with a name like that?

I never was a wheeler dealer
So don’t pass me the wheel or the cards
I don’t do puzzles either
I don’t like picking up the pieces
or taking my time just to **** it

I don’t drink to get drunk that much
I don’t like the morning after
or waking up with a stranger
We can drink for each other though
There’s something about love in a bottle

I was trying to decide something
It had to do with falling in love
Trouble was nobody was around
The love letter I wrote was really good
It never got mailed but I would’ve

I’m not much for attention anymore
After the cameras are all gone
What’s left but you and all my fears
I don’t want anybody to know what I got
Somebody might want to come take you

For some reason I’ve found myself here
I loved you but I didn’t like you sometimes
It’s not that you weren’t a good woman
It’s just that you wouldn’t quit doing things
Talking to your ex or drinking more than me

Some of these people sure don’t seem real
I don’t know if they know which candle to burn
A home away from home is hard to find
You have to say hello to every stranger
Even if you’ve never seen their type before

I’m on my very own yes I own it now
Freedom is something I’m ready to pawn
But that’s what I said last time
A girl I once knew said I should go for it
But it’s not right to steal her away

I was thinking about hind-sight
But that’s nothing but a song to sing
I’ll take the crystal ball from you
But you don’t have one do you?
That’s why mistakes just happen

She always made him laugh
She'd say crazy things like
"It ain't cheatin' if we done it before"
He couldn't argue with that
'Cause some of him was wantin'
what she was wantin' some more

That country straw logic
He knew she was a good girl
But she lived like a survivor
The scars always did the talking
She remembered how good love felt
The way it was is why it wasn't over

Burnin' the bible with sin
She cried and cried over him
She found her another
And he said he loved her
But true love was the devils friend

She never finished school
but she was smarter than him
Having to 'splain her to his friends
She said that's how it would be
He said let me worry about that
But her heart was too hard to mend

Burnin another bible with sin
She wanted to love her old friend
What's wrong with a mistake
One kiss for sinners sake
Then a prayer before death do her in

There is nothing contrived
It’s not being different
Or the same
Opposite or synonymous
There is no thought
Not about that
Only feeling

When I began crying
It was not a decision

I didn’t ask you
I didn’t tell you
I only wanted you to know
The lover I wanted to be

But I had to find out first
Could we talk about another
And not think about going back
Could we talk about tomorrow
And see the longing in our eyes
Could we know what we want
And not try to make it happen
But instead let it happen

I’m racing into your head now
Moving the hands forward on your clock
I would wait forever for you
But why should we
Don’t believe in time
Believe in me

I don’t want to be compared
How do I make you feel
That is all that matters
Everyone thinks you are beautiful
Do they make you feel safe
Everyone thinks you are a mystery
Do they understand you
Everyone wants to be your lover
Do they want to be your friend

i could reject everything
but i have to love something
don't i?
It's easy to love nature
or animals
there's no trust involved
but people
who are so much more
can be so much less
don't pretend on me
we either belong together
or should just use each other
to practice our manners
but you don't have to
i'm ok if you move on
we never really knew each other
we kept our clothes on
my bags are still in the car
can you tell me though
which side of the cage was i anyway?