I was ever after that vow that preached your will to death inside my restless mind. I could repeat lies and talk like I’m somebody, but I have no place to hide— so I reside in the belly of my creative crimes. You gave me alibis to buy me time, like swearing during a lullaby. I walked away from empty castles, torched to ash and forlorn. I kept rebuilding them, brick by brick, but devils kept sending chariots— peace in a holster, fireballs aimed with a grin. It all would’ve decayed eventually. I make no claim. Now I hear you in the echoes of my footsteps and see you just before the waves break. The heart in my chest is old, but the heart in my soul overflows with memories— a gypsy violin in the modern night, laced with profanity, declaring someone still blooming with insanity. I hope that when I find you, I can be carefree and still— like a man playing with his thumbs while staring himself blind at the sun, thinking of worlds made of will. Wild is the temptation that passed. Patience laughed. God was too painful to grasp. I’ll be dumb forever if you promise to keep me numb— for God’s fucking sake, keep me warm and dumb. Till the rivers filled with blood repent and angels descend. “Happiness is always just around the bend,” so the worn salesman said. Bet. We’re already smiling— it’s just a trick so the fat cats get fed. But blankets on a wooden floor, a stove’s warm breath, and a woman you adore— perfect. Nothing else needs to be said.