On our way out of the antique store
She read a sign that ended with, "Life is short"
And she chuckled out loud and said, "I guess it can always be shorter"
The cashier nearby overheard and replied
"Yeah, that's what my son thought too
And then he proved it"
Her mouth didn't move much, and her eyes were vacancy signs, just begging
Neon born, and now faded, nearly inoperable
And then she floated away to the back
The chime on the door startled her
On the way out
While lost in thought, wondering what she meant
"Proved it"
Are we the vision we create
Or are we created in someone else's vision?
How to win
It all boils down to "How to win", doesn't it?
Even if you're not competitive, how do you overcome?
How do you get through the day?
How do you win the challenges?
How do you win the light?
How do you win enough money?
The love you want? How do you win friends?
Once we win, though, we tell ourselves we'll be set
We'll be alright
But the human condition is never enough
Because after the win comes the keep
It's always the keep
It's the human cycle
This figural entity that moves us
It's the condition that keeps us moving, even in our sleep
I dreamt of you last night
That's the subconscious element, flattered
I'm flattered
I hope she's flattered
I hope this keeps her
I hope I keep her entertained
I hope I keep being funny
I hope she keeps being interested
I hope I keep my job
I hope I keep being happy
If I ever was
Or maybe I'm not
What if I'm not?
And then it starts to spiral
What if I never find it?
Will I even know?
We earn by winning
But we keep by containing
While we lose, there's no mechanism but doubt
And that's the one we don't control
The one that keeps us awake
Doubt is a siren without any sound at all
It's a shroud, wrapping itself around the mind so tightly
That it feels impossible to learn anything new
To know anything old
The pressure, crushing every thought into another
Until we can't tell where the handle begins
Or where the blade ends
Compressed, depressed
They're just words
And the toxic blood keeps running its track
Is my mind the prey?
I wanna give in
But I'm so scared of that, too
It's hard being a coward on both ends
The two sides of the fence stare at each other
Trying to listen to nothing
Because neither knows what to say
Come here
Closer
Closer
Come here
Closer
Closer
It never ends
Even when it does
It never ends
