The Mistake/The Heartbreak/The Second Take (Radio Edit)

I took a break from being a friend

To be lousy and lazy and human,

Not to live up to what my future's been.

The heartbreak, if not the mistake, may mend.

It's not having done wrong and been right.

It's not even the fact that I survived.

It's that my mistake came to define

Your life,

and I've learned to cease letting it define

Mine.

How can I be fine with being fine?

Go Ahead, Give Me a Reason

When the only reason to get out of bed

Is the drive to work, that's a long day.

When the only reason to get out of bed

Is the drive to work, take the long way.

When the only reason to get out of bed

Is leaving, one month from now,

Then it's best to be running the time out

Quickly, but I don't really know how.

When a quarterback wants the time run out,

He kneels on the ground with the ball,

But I find that dull and cowardly.

I refuse to watch it at all.

...Said the Sinner to the Innocent, Drifting Away

You were feuding with my best friend

About a year ago.

Before, you asked to see my writing,

But I never let you know.

You and I were on the track team

Until two-thousand-three.

Before, you were my bandmate;

Before that, a friend to me.

You were my reason to get out of bed

In nineteen ninety-seven.

I expect the pattern to continue.

One day, you'll be in heaven...

Pinwheel, Pt. 2

Water's precious beyond measure if you fear to die of thirst,
But easy to take for granted if you flood your basement first.
I had cars, and balls, and weapons, superhero capes, and rings.
I grew up too expensive to have learned to value things.
If it took time to learn, appreciate, I'd grab another toy.
I was too much of a child then to make a decent boy,
But the result of this consumption would leave Wall Street quite appalled:
No care for one thing or a hundred, scarce for one or none at all.

One More Visit to Apartment Number Five

I won't say a word to you.

I don't have a word for you,

Only a reaction.

My select mortal distraction

Is quickly gaining traction,

Driving right on past distraction—

Whining, defining, red-lining,

Driving-all-other-thoughts-from-my-mind-ing.

I ought to give thought to unwinding,

But know I can always take more.

I guess I've been here before.

Number Five

You just refuse to do things right.

Eyes are meant to take in light,

But if instead, they could take life,

I'd be a murderer tonight.

We both know looks can kill.

I doubt I wanted that, but still

It will be hours more until

I take my medicine and chill.

Don't Love the One You're Not With

You tell me what kind

Of guy you think you like,

and I think I'm your type,

But the mind likes

What the eyes like,

and I fall behind.

I guess you weren't aware

Of my un-part in your affair,

Of my trying not to stare

At the highlights in your hair,

But the longer you're not there,

The less I find I care.

I know I should move on

From our failure to bond,

But the longer we're both gone,

I'm satisfied to get along

With no more dances, only songs;

With being over, not beyond.

They say to meet and then dissolve

Beats having no romance at all.

Though it would leave the Bard appalled,

I have this problem better solved:

Get infatuated, not involved.

That way, you save yourself the fall.