spill your secret to me
creeping shadows, and the evil that lurks in the night
that makes the dogs bark in fear
with their tails between their legs
the hooded man without a face
stealing innocence

why it was that you turned to me
to fill the gap
how did I get sucked into the vortex
knowing what I know
I had counted myself wiser than Odysseus,
thinking to just skirt the outer edge of Scylla
but I should’ve known better to think that
I was better than a hero

and still everything lay outside of my grasp
I do not understand
I’ll never understand
those dark nights when the only people in the world
were you and I
singing each other to sleep
drowning in each other’s sorrows
the soft catch of your breath
as you lay your head upon my chest
your dream-filled smile
as I kissed your cheek
innocence, stolen by the years
and the heartache
the betrayals and the evil intentions
yet nothing is ever innocent
like an image reflected in facing mirrors
distortions with every layer deeper
depending on which way you look
the Devil can look like God
without even bothering to wear a disguise

in other words,
we see what we want to see
dream only good things
hope for the best

but you and I, we have grown wise
the fire searing our flesh
blackening our hearts
know better than to put our hands back into the flames
to expect the worst
to know that, in the end, all things fail
and promises were never meant to last forever

I do not understand
I’ll never understand
these webs of words that I keep twisting and turning
trying to suit my own purpose
and only tangling my will into knots
did I mean what I said
or did you really see the truth in my words?

to love is to lose
and the reason we die
is when we’ve lost too much