I've taken the beatings
and felt the blows
the one-two
the fester of *******
seeping into my worry

I've placed my ear
to the walls
and heard the screams
taking their shapes
the strange cacophony
of hollow voices
creeping just beyond reach

beneath these bruises
in the empty that owns the pain
and poisons expectation
where each new smile
is less brave than before
mining troubles
like flags waiting to be found

promises
summon back their quotations
ripe with a vagueness
to blacken out the deal
and erase its history
or simply wait long enough
to one day be forgotten

to cut out my tongue
so I can't talk back
to look me in the eyes
and tell me I can't see