Line by Line

The shadows always come and go,
Lost between what I do and do not know.
The ghosts dancing around the candle’s glow—
If you don’t bleed, will you ever grow?

I look toward the sky—a balloon floating away with my hope,
Its string dangling precariously over branches made of oak.
It’s funny what we choose to do to help us cope,
Past mistakes still haunting, swinging at the end of the rope.

When did we learn the only things we can count are money or time?
That apathy is framed as power, but showing love is a crime?
Where clarity is forgotten because it’s easier when you blur the lines,
And it doesn’t matter who gets hurt—as long as you’re okay, then all is fine.
The world will continue to spin—didn’t you know that it’s all by design?
The damage gets buried so they can continue polishing a false shine,
Teetering on the edge of believing they’re free but understanding they’re confined.

Another sleepless night, examining what’s in front of me and what’s left behind,
Looking at what’s inside of me and what’s considered normal by mankind,
Always searching for a key I don’t think I’ll ever be able to find,
Reminding me that life is just a mixture of chaotic stories that somehow combined—
And we’re all just reading the book word by word, line by line.