I cherish my sobriety
And my holiness
Even though I have abandoned God
And no longer have a purpose in life.

But I look at the men with drunken nights
And the loose women with abandoned children—
They make me ***** a heap of cold, hard truth
That spills to the floor like blood from a pulled tooth,
And although I don't get to see a fortunate future,
What I do see is a chance at a great enlightened life.

The question is whether or not I can handle it.

The glass is either half empty or half full
But all I see is a glazed piece of transparent drink.
It's a shame to think things have hit rock bottom
When all of it has idly rested there for years.
If life doesn't stop messing with the sheets
I think I might wrinkle them up on purpose.

I see the 20-year-old with pigtails across the street;
She sees the shadows traveling under my eyes.
Good evening, she says.
Perhaps.
It's my own personal masquerade ball.

I prop my feet up for comfort
And the pain goes away temporarily.
Ever since I left behind my innocence
There's been an absence in true pleasure.
Even when the world pushes me down,
The chance is always still there.