The illness catches branches low,
heralds beaten unseen woe.

It grows inside me, spark by spark,
a fire in my favorite park.

Jewels forgotten, rivers clean,
mark it by the ashy sheen.

It's gone again; it's worth your while,
stab yourself and spit up bile.

Your days are done and I will rise,
I am back to claim my prize.

Rock and roll on the radio;
forsake me

Mud between my toes and teeth on my tongue;
they hate me

Laugh with me,
leave them behind,
don't let me get away

It's our day, Friday,
forsake me and
never forget me

Mud between my toes and teeth on my tongue,
they hate me

Laugh for me and relish in that song,
I said,
"Are you gonna leave me behind?"

And you said,
"Only if you can't catch up."

Take my hand, darling--
move on to the stars and watch as the sun sets
See those silhouettes?

It's a summer retreat campfire beat and
sticks on railings in the dead of day

"Bring me back," they plead, but
that's not our way

Oh, no.

Look at the past and swallow your regrets
and make bad jokes about your fading silhouettes

Cast on the wall as a saucer after their call, broken
Take my hand and lead me through
the garden of our broken promises

An echo of "I'm sorry" in the embers

Send me screaming and spiraling to the encore, bravado of the loved, into the inferno that brews with each pant

I'm running.

I'm fleeing and my feet hit the concrete a little slower each time and the passenger of the sedan on my left is pulling a gun

I'm on the ground now, blood soaking into the pavement, laughs echoing off empty buildings

My old home.

Why did I ever come back?

No soft down of the goose
No suspirations of peace and condolence
No love for the broken

No volume of kind words will ever heal me,
no amount of rose-tinted promises will ever convince me that I'm not alone in this fight

No pillows for me when I fall from my great heights

Only the justification of my actions and the tissue to the tears I forgot to shed

Take from the poor and give to
the poorer

Drink scorched gold on ashy
bread

Bronze in your fist and silver
in your tooth

You're surely ******,
highwayman

--

Running to hills and sighting clouds like kids again,
Chasing memories that don't want you around

Resurrecting demons like foul-mouthed holy men,
Bones stir deep in your blood-soaked mounds

Hey, man, why do you bother?
Hey, man, why do you care?

Tell yourself again: It's not worth it,
Look down deep and you will find
the twisted nature of the highwayman

Running to the hills and sighting clouds like kids again,
Chasing memories that don't want you around

Resurrecting demons like foul-mouthed holy men,
Bones stir deep in your blood-soaked mounds

Tell yourself again: it's so worth it
Look up high and you will find
the blessed nature of the holy man

(Take from the poor and give to
the poorer
Drink scorched gold on ashy
bread
Bronze in your fist and silver
in your tooth
You're surely ******,
highwayman
You're surely ******,
holy man)

"I am not your enemy,"
whispered words and blood
drips from bleeding lips

"You can trust me,"
hoarse voices carrying on
sour winter breezes

"I'm the god now,"
and strength returns once more
to one who deserved to die