how dare you
have the audacity to face me
with a thousand excuses
and that wide, careless smile
as if nothing ever happened
as if no one ever knew
*******.

O Lord
I lay it all before You
As I did yesterday

But this time
My eyes
Surely
Remain open.

We never know
The story of tomorrow

If the storm is coming
Please give me a sign
At least a drizzle

'Cause now I'm afraid
The night might hold me tight
Too tight
Again.

I no longer think
Those beautiful words
Were written for me
I've been replaced
And that's alright.
As it should be.

Everyone who comes
Will eventually go
Replaced by better ones
As they should be.

But memories stay memories
Unchanged by time
Who knows what tomorrow holds?
Maybe they’ll play again
Or fade away.
As they should be.

I thought I was done.
But the waves returned
crashing against the rock
the innocent one.

I stayed quiet
though I knew I should leave.
Linger too long
and I’ll be drawn under
slowly unraveled
undone.

Yet beauty is a soft betrayal
the hush between each wave
the silk of sand beneath my feet
they promise peace
even as they pull me deeper.

And so, I stay.
Let the sea claim me
roll me into its quiet dark
until I am no longer seen
then gone.
And done.

The day has come
A reward to be alive another day
Yet time keeps shrinking.

Cake and candles no longer excite
Warmth, peace, and love
What matters most
They're all I truly seek.

In this moment
Let’s celebrate
For we never know
Maybe tomorrow will be taken away.
Happy birthday.

I sip no more.
Not because I quit
Not because it's forbidden by the hands that raised me
Nor because I mind drinking alone.

Though the taste lingers in my mind
Warm, a fire that once danced down my throat
My feet unsteady, lost in search of the bathroom
'Cause the world spun in circles
Laying down became a brilliant escape
And eyes closed, sinking deeper into the aftertaste
Strangely, it all felt so good.

But no...
I sip no more.
The taste fades
Along with your existence.