For That Which Now Lies Fallow

The corners of these eyes hide blank designs There was never space between these thin red lines Now we speak in semaphore And I am reaching out again from ship to shore When it goes black with waters closing in You came in last with this lost champion Sullied hands that bear the acquiesced If I could have never felt this I’d give all that's left These white flags seem colorfast And now we speed to throw away the past No matter where the passion lives, our tears are pointless And I will show you now where heaven is But you won’t see this I’ve jettisoned the curse that beckons us - it feeds the abyss These tepid feet beneath the waves To ring it in with other gifts It’s black The water’s closing in You came in last with this lost champion

As the smoke clears, are you talking to an empty room? That captive audience had plans for you Unless you cut them in As the hour runs out, are you cataloguing every move? Your finale had you breaking through Their exoskeletons No words but they’re loud and true There’s no harbor here for ghosts like you To our surprise they’re your ghosts too You fought a war here, and were you sitting on a hand grenade? Did you blow apart the dream you made Or was it redefined? What was once holy is now reviled And they can’t stand to see you past your prime No words but they’re loud and true There’s no harbor here for ghosts like you To our surprise they’re your ghosts too The shadows cast by demons past They haunt your every move The cold inside those weathered souls Has never felt so cruel The beast that mocks this fragile peace Has mirrors aimed at you They’re aimed at you In this empty room, they’re aimed at you

WE ONLY LIVE HERE IN STATES OF DECEPTION UNDER THE WARMTH OF THEIR SMILES BEFORE INSISTING ON A CHANGE IN COMPLEXION THEY SAW THE SPEED OF YOUR SLIDE THEY SAW THE SPEED OF YOUR SLIDE IN THE GRAY WHERE THE ONES WHO KEPT YOU SAFE HAVE GROWN AWAY - YOU ISOLATE DEAD WRONG AGAIN STRUNG ALONG LIKE EVERYONE TORCH SONGS WERE LOST LOVES NOW YOU’RE BENEATH THE BRACE HIDING ALL OF YOUR FEARS IN THE CRAWLSPACE BURIED THE LEAD SO TIGHTLY BOUND YOU FELT THE STING OF GREED IN THE GRAY WHERE THE ONES WHO KEPT YOU SAFE HAVE GROWN AWAY - YOU ISOLATE DEAD WRONG AGAIN PLAY ALONG LIKE EVERYONE WHO’S GONE WRONG AGAIN EVERY TIME IT’S BEEN REPEATED STILL YOU FEEL YOU HAVE BEEN CHEATED WHERE YOU FELT NO GUIDING LIGHT IT SPUN YOU STRAIGHT INTO THE ASH OF NIGHT AND THIS IS SOMETHING YOU CAN’T FACE LOOK THROUGH THE EYES OF THE ONES WHO COULD TELL YOUR PLACE IT’S AN ELEGANT SONG YOU SING BUT IT DON’T MEAN A THING ANYMORE IF IT EVER DID DEAD WRONG AGAIN PLAY ALONG LIKE EVERYONE WHO’S GONE WRONG AGAIN

THIS IS A PLACE CALLED VILLAINY WE’RE ONLY HERE FOR THE REST OF OUR DAYS WE’RE IN A MOTOR CRASH, COLLIDING WITH FATE SPINNING IN FLAMES THE WAY THAT WE SLAM ON THE BRAKE WITH THE DESOLATES COVERED OUR EYES TO THE SIZE AND THE BREADTH OF IT WHERE A SLIVER OF HOPE REMAINS REALIZE THAT THE PRIZE WAS THE DEATH OF IT WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED IN THESE SUNLESS WASTES? WAS WE LEFT IN OUR WAKE WAS BUILT TO ERASE AND YOU CAN’T HIDE, OR DENY WHAT LIES UNDER THE VINES IT IS SERPENTINE, AND IT FINDS ITS WAY TO THE DEPTHS OF OUR LIVES WITH THE DESOLATES COVERED OUR EYES TO THE SIZE AND THE BREADTH OF IT WHERE A SLIVER OF HOPE REMAINS REALIZE THAT THE PRIZE WAS THE DEATH OF IT BUT IF I SEEM LESS THAN GRACIOUS CEDING THESE VICTORIES TO YOU WHERE NONE BUT A SLIVER OF HOPE REMAINS PIERCING THE ARMOR AND STRAIGHT TO THE VEINS ALL WE CAN DREAM OF IN GARMENTS OF CHAINS IS ONE SHINING MOMENT WHERE A SLIVER OF HOPE REMAINS

ALL SELF-CONGRATULATION AND LESS ATTENTION PAID WE GROW TIRED OF ASSUMPTIONS INDISCRIMINATELY MADE BUT YOU ARE JUST LIKE ALL THE OTHERS HANG ME BY SOME BRITTLE THREAD WHILE YOU NEVER UNDERSTOOD A WORD I SAID IT’S A MILITANT REACTION BUT I JUST SEE DESPAIR AND ALL THAT’S LEFT IS ASHES IN THE AIR WE’RE DISPOSABLE HUMANS IN THIS AGE OF FALSE AMENDS EXISTING AT OTHERS’ CONVENIENCE IN THE FILE WITH ALL THE OTHER DEAD ENDS THIS IS A FIRE THAT BURNS INCESSANTLY IN THE FACE OF THOSE WHO WAIT WHILE THEY HIDE THEIR SELF MADE MARTYRS IN THE SHADOWS OF THE SAINTS IT’S A MILITANT REACTION BUT I JUST SEE DESPAIR AND THAT’S LEFT IS ASHES ALL I HEAR IS THE SOUND IN MY HEAD UNTETHERED ANGELS DRAPED IN RED THEY’RE BLOODSHOT IN THE TWILIGHT AT THE WAKING OF THE DEAD THE TRUTH HAS BEEN UNLEARNED WE GET JUST WHAT WE EARN AND IF WE HOLD ON TO NOTHING WE GET NOTHING WE GET NOTHING IN RETURN

AS ASPIRATIONS TARNISH AND PERFECT MEMORIES RUST WE LOST A CHARITY OF TRUST BUT JUSTICE NEVER LIVED HERE WHERE THOSE REACTIONS FEEL UNJUST WITH EACH COMPARISON ANOTHER RING CLOSED IN - IT WAS THE SHOW THAT LEFT YOU COLD THE STEEL YOU WORE, YOUR SUIT FOR WAR WITH NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE, YOU DREW THIS SHROUD AROUND YOU THE ANIMALS THAT STOLE YOUR SOUL AND WAS IT ALL FOR NOTHING? DID YOU LIVE WITH NOTHING WHEN YOU FACED THE BLADE, DID YOUR DELUSIONS FADE REIGN IN YOUR FEELINGS, THEY’RE MISPLACED OR WERE YOUR FEARS DELAYED BY PROMISES THEY MADE DID YOU FEEL YOUR DREAM HAD BEEN ERASED AND AS YOU WORE THE FACE, YOU SELF-FULFILLED THERE WAS A PROPHECY IT KILLED - YOU WALK A PATH THAT THEY CAN’T KNOW THE STEEL YOU WORE, YOUR SUIT FOR WAR WITH NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE, YOU DREW THIS SHROUD AROUND YOU THE ANIMALS THAT STOLE YOUR SOUL WAS IT ALL FOR NOTHING? DID YOU LIVE WITH FEAR WAS IT SELF-FLAGELLATION THAT BROUGHT YOU HERE WHERE YOU FELT THE STING OF ARROWS WHERE PEBBLES RAINED UPON YOUR SHORE YOUR EYES WERE ONLY BROKEN WINDOWS WHERE LIGHT BROKE THROUGH NO MORE YOU’D ONLY DARED TO DREAM OF GIFTS BEYOND AND BENEATH THE SKIN THEY LURED YOU IN THEY’RE ON YOUR SHORE THE STEEL YOU WORE AND STILL YOU’VE BORNE A THOUSAND ARROWS

ONLY PARAGRAPHS DIVIDE WHERE REACTIONS STILL INCISE WHERE DECEIT CAN DRAG THIS OUT WHEN YOUR WALLS COLLAPSE, AND DEFENSES CRUMBLE THIS IS THE SINKING SOUND WHEN THE WORLD COMES DOWN AND IT FEELS SO WRONG BUT I KNOW WE’RE ABANDONED NOW I HAVE NOTHING LEFT BUT TRUTH I HAVE BREACHED THOSE DEADLY SINS NOW ALL I BELIEVE WITH CERTAINTY THERE’S A WAR OUTSIDE AND WE DON’T KNOW WHERE IT ENDS THIS IS THE SINKING SOUND WHEN THE WORLD COMES DOWN AND IT FEELS SO WRONG BUT WE KNOW WE’RE ABANDONED NOW MY ESCAPE IS FROM A WORLD I CLAIMED YOU OWE ME NOTHING, LET ME FEEL THE SAME LET ME IGNORE THE WAYS I STORED AWAY THIS SHAME AND I’LL GIVE YOU NOTHING AS THE STEWARD OF MY CROWN THIS IS THE SINKING SOUND WHEN THE WORLD COMES DOWN AND IT FEELS SO WRONG BUT I KNOW WE’RE ABANDONED NOW

You don’t have to watch the world burn down You can go back on your word You don’t have to go back in time It’s just a difficult birth Just because you’re tired of bait on string Don’t mean you’re cashing this out But you’re in the sky, I’m on the ground I’m in the cold and i’m sinking Holding on until this search for the light Leads me back to the surface Just because you’ve been outgunned Don’t mean your eyes are sewn shut You don’t have to send a war cry Just to keep getting your cut Just because you were humble When you were marking your prey You don’t have to fear the outside When you’ve locked them out to keep yourself safe You’re so safe What have we embraced again How are we so driftless here With all of these roads that run through us How did these hearts get crushed YOU DON’T HAVE TO TRUST THE MAN ON THE STREET JUST WHEN HE BARELY HIT TOWN YOU MUST HAVE LOST YOUR CONNECTION BUT IT’S FAIR TO SAY HE’S DRAGGING YOU DOWN YOU DON’T HAVE TO BURN AN EFFIGY FOR EVERY PRAYER YOU LET FLY WERE YOU LEFT AT THE ALTAR OR WERE YOUR WINGS THE WRONG SIZE THE WRONG SIZE READING BACK THE TRUTH THAT YOU REWRITE STRUGGLING TO SEE YOUR PURPOSE HOLDING ON UNTIL THE SEARCH FOR THE LIGHT LEADS ME BACK TO THE SURFACE WHAT HAVE WE EMBRACED AGAIN HOW ARE WE SO DRIFTLESS HERE WITH ALL THESE ROADS THAT RUN THROUGH US HOW DID THESE HEARTS GET CRUSHED

WHEN YOU CHOKE ON WORDS YOU DARE NOT SAY YOU END THE ROPE, AND DRIFT AWAY WHEN DID THE COLD BLOOD RUN DRY WITH THE FIRE THAT LEFT YOUR EYE IT LEFT YOU BURNING YOUR HORIZON DOWN WHEN OLD WOUNDS RETURNED COLD BLOOD RUN DRY BLOOD UNDER STEEL REMAINS YOU FROZE IT DEEP INSIDE WITH CRIMES THAT YOU DENIED WHEN THE EARTH SPLITS YOU’RE NEVER COMING DOWN YOU’LL NEVER SINK INTO THE GROUND WHERE YOU BURIED IT THEY SHOWED NO MERCY AS THEY TRIED TO DROWN YOU OUT THERE IS NO FEELING NOW - YOU’VE BLOCKED IT OUT THERE’S NO EMOTION FOR YOU NOW COLD BLOOD RUN DRY UNPAINTED FIGURINE SPIT OUT BY THEIR MACHINE TRAPPED IN THIS SPACE BETWEEN THE LIFE THAT YOU WERE PROMISED AND THE LIFE THAT YOU RECEIVED YOU’RE TAKING BACK HOW DEEPLY YOU BELIEVED

Where this sadness goes, the heart follows Where the ache returns, it has not known forgiveness I have not known forgiveness The path you chose, the path chose you The curse you chose, the faith that dwelled inside of you It dwells inside of you We’ve mastered subtleties, still this heart bleeds Marked for eternity You can’t admit your weakness I cannot fill your needs I live in the solace of the night These silent conversations in this quiet life I live in the safety of the evening’s cold embrace By day I stand outside the gates Where the heart follows I live in the solace of the night These silent conversations in this quiet life I live in the safety of the evening’s cold embrace By day I stand outside the gates Repeating these mistakes By day I stand outside the gates