Learned lessons from a distant father
My father taught me how to be a man
The delicate ways to hold a flower
When flight is more beneficial than fight
And what alcoholism tastes like

Now he was able to teach all of these things while being absent
Away in a managed life of self loathing
over different reasons to be addicted and falling back on his word
These words fall from off lips, waterfall from lips and hail down on those who believe them

Promises are meant to gods diary entries from his day off
Something strong enough to hold us through the floods of broken bones and motel bibles
Words that con construct the elevator in your spine giving enough electricity to elevate your spirit.

We lean on them.
Like towers.
Galloping through the darkness protecting ourselves with words like.
I promise. I will. Guarantees. And count on me.

I have awoken to realize this is all a dream
We can no longer depend on these words imploding this society
These are false idols begging for your forgiveness in placebo jackets
But you promised. Everything will be alright
That you would be my architecture when the foundation gives

This is an 18 floor elevator free fall
Careening toward gravity with no expectation of a warm embrace
Reaching for words with ghost tongues
The crash will be better with an apology anyway

The constant sorries that fall in forests with no one listening
Hypocrite. A harsh word
My father always told me, nothing
But, when my father was still the father I never learned him to be, he gave me something

A false promise.
I still hold onto it
Tattooed on my inner ear
Reminding me to never leach onto words alone
My body has become exhausted
From hanging onto nothing