Untitled

THROUGH THEM LONELY DAYS

FROSTY DAYS

THROUGH THEM HOLY PRAYS

UNGODLY WAYS

I LOVED YOU THE ONLY WAY I KNEW HOW TO.

I CARVED YOUR NAME INTO THE VERY LAYERS

OF MY HEART

TO KEEP US CONNECTED,

THE ONLY WAY I KNEW HOW TO.

WHEN THE TIME COMES,

WHEN THEY'LL RIP MY HEART OUT

TO WEIGH IT,

THEN THEY'LL SEE THE PROOF  IT ALWAYS HAD

AN OWNER.

EVEN THOUGH I TRIED TO PORTRAY MYSELF AS A LONER,

YOU HAD A HOLD ON ME THAT GREW STRONGER

THE MORE WE GOT OLDER.

NOW THE WORLD FEELS STRANGE,

AND I'M A STRANGER TO THIS STRANGER

WORLD.

YOU LEFT ME ESTRANGED FROM THESE EMOTIONS

I BARELY RECOGNIZE.

I'M AN OUTCAST IN MY OWN SKIN.

I'M A PRISONER TO MY OWN SINS.

A BETTER TOMORROW IS WHAT I YEARN FOR,

A TOMORROW I CAN BE PROUD OF.

RIGHT NOW, EVERYTHING SEEMS BLEAK.

TOMORROW SEEMS LIKE A DREAM.

I WOULD CEASE TO BREATHE IF I KNEW

I COULD MAKE IT INTO HEAVEN.

BUT

MY PLACE IS SOMEWHERE COLD AND BARREN,

SO I PUT MY TRUST IN THOSE WHO CLAIM

YOUR LIFE FLASHES BEFORE YOUR EYES

ON YOUR LAST BREATH.

'CAUSE EVEN FOR A SECOND,

SEEING YOU IS MORE THAN

WHAT A FORSAKEN SOUL LIKE MINE

THEY KEEP TELLING ME TO BE A MAN. LIKE IT CAME WITH A MANUAL.

IT'S LIKE I'M SITTING ON A SADDLE, JUST HERE FOR THE RIDE.

I'M SOMEONE'S SON. ONCE, I WAS JUST A LITTLE BOY WHO NEVER IMAGINED

THAT BEING BORN WITH A STICK BETWEEN MY LEGS

WOULD MAKE THE WORLD TREAT ME LIKE A PUNCHING BAG.

NEVER HIT BACK. JUST TAKE IT.

"IT'S NEVER ABOUT HOW HARD YOU CAN HIT.

IT'S ABOUT HOW MUCH OF A BEATING YOU CAN TAKE.

THOSE WHO AREN'T STRONG ENOUGH ARE PUT DOWN FOR GOOD."

FUNNY HOW THAT'S CONSIDERED NORMAL.

SPENDING YOUR WHOLE LIFE FIGHTING.

BEING PLACED IN A WORLD WHERE FEELINGS ARE IRRELEVANT.

EVENTUALLY, YOU BECOME COLD.

UNTOUCHABLE.

UNATTAINABLE.

UNVULNERABLE.

THEN THEY CALL YOU CRUEL.

THEY CALL YOU HEARTLESS.

AS IF THEY WEREN'T THE ONES

WHO FORGED THE MONSTER.

"MEN DON'T CRY."

"MEN DON'T CRACK."

THEN IT'S—

"MY SON DOESN'T LOVE HIS FAMILY."

"MY HUSBAND NEVER HAS TIME FOR ME."

"MY BOYFRIEND IS DISTANT."

"HE'S COLD."

"HE LACKS EMOTION."

BUT HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO HAVE ANY OF THOSE

WHEN EVERY SECOND

OF THIS SO-CALLED

MAN'S RESPONSIBILITY

HAS BEEN FILLED WITH

PAIN,

ISOLATION,

AND BEING TOLD

TO SWALLOW IT ALL?

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO BE HUMAN

WHEN MY WHOLE LIFE

I'VE BEEN FORGED

INTO BEING

A PROPER MAN?

BECAUSE SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY,

BEING A PROPER MAN

MEANT LOSING

THEY KEEP TELLING ME TO BE A MAN. LIKE IT CAME WITH A MANUAL.

IT'S LIKE I'M SITTING ON A SADDLE, JUST HERE FOR THE RIDE.

I'M SOMEONE'S SON. ONCE, I WAS JUST A LITTLE BOY WHO NEVER IMAGINED

THAT BEING BORN WITH A STICK BETWEEN MY LEGS

WOULD MAKE THE WORLD TREAT ME LIKE A PUNCHING BAG.

NEVER HIT BACK. JUST TAKE IT.

"IT'S NEVER ABOUT HOW HARD YOU CAN HIT.

IT'S ABOUT HOW MUCH OF A BEATING YOU CAN TAKE.

THOSE WHO AREN'T STRONG ENOUGH ARE PUT DOWN FOR GOOD."

FUNNY HOW THAT'S CONSIDERED NORMAL.

SPENDING YOUR WHOLE LIFE FIGHTING.

BEING PLACED IN A WORLD WHERE FEELINGS ARE IRRELEVANT.

EVENTUALLY, YOU BECOME COLD.

UNTOUCHABLE.

UNATTAINABLE.

UNVULNERABLE.

THEN THEY CALL YOU CRUEL.

THEY CALL YOU HEARTLESS.

AS IF THEY WEREN'T THE ONES

WHO FORGED THE MONSTER.

"MEN DON'T CRY."

"MEN DON'T CRACK."

THEN IT'S—

"MY SON DOESN'T LOVE HIS FAMILY."

"MY HUSBAND NEVER HAS TIME FOR ME."

"MY BOYFRIEND IS DISTANT."

"HE'S COLD."

"HE LACKS EMOTION."

BUT HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO HAVE ANY OF THOSE

WHEN EVERY SECOND

OF THIS SO-CALLED

MAN'S RESPONSIBILITY

HAS BEEN FILLED WITH

PAIN,

ISOLATION,

AND BEING TOLD

TO SWALLOW IT ALL?

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO BE HUMAN

WHEN MY WHOLE LIFE

I'VE BEEN FORGED

INTO BEING

A PROPER MAN?

BECAUSE SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY,

BEING A PROPER MAN

MEANT LOSING