when every white rose
starts to bleed red
sane becomes a bore
the nonsensical feels right
the cheshire grin at night
isn't alarming anymore

when mercury becomes
one with your blood
the hatter makes more sense
broken watches seem exact
fairy tales become fact
your mind is your only defense

when every head case
every basket case
makes you feel safe
maybe it's time to stop
pretending to belong
in the world of the sane

drawing is easy when you're tracing
tracing over lines from long ago
lines from different mediums
different circumstances
different art
tracing over old lines
with new methods
is a new form of art

there are things
i'm unable to escape
there are things
i love and despise
and the feeling is mutual
there are things
i feel guilty about
and wrong without
there are things
that feed on sorrow
and despair would be
their victory feast

and then there are things
that are all of the above
and those things
are one of two things:
addictions
afflictions
and sometimes
when lines in sand
are worn down by wind
when watercolors
run together
when one thing
is a bit too close to the other
something is both

now can anyone
who's seen what i've seen
tell me the difference
between
an addiction
and
an affliction?

quitters never win
winners never quit
but if you stay in the game you lose
so we're all quitters
rats
abandoning a sinking ship

i you're planning
to hold your breath
until you get
what you want
then take a deep breath
'cause your lungs
won't fill again