Substitute

Flowing words tug at the soul and bring to surface pain
The likes from which the average man would rather just abstain.
The blood that's flowing down my hands from tugging at my heart
Will either make a man of me or bring me to the start--
Before the world convinced me of the things it had to give--
The sustenance it flaunted as the reason that I live.
But sustenance will turn to dust, possessions burn to coal,
And man was never meant to use such things to make him whole.
The scope of all eternity's the thing for which we fight.
We hide ourselves from God for fear of being seen in light.
And so, deception we prefer to showing what we hide.
We substitute eternity, embracing foolish pride.

The Search

Begging, pleading, still repeating
Seeking peace; it never ends.
Hearts unknown that turn to stone
Make haste to pray or fall apart.
The search for tender heart is long,
And far too many do it wrong
With wine and women numbing fear.
They laugh and shout and fake their clout
To draw attention from mere men.
Their hearts still dry, they fill their eyes
With tears when no one's looking.
Behind facades, we all applaud
The people that we're choking.

Heart Math

I'll let you down easy, so don't raise your hopes.
Spend just one more day with your heart on the ropes.
No simple reason could make me deny
What hangs from my heart when you come to my mind.
I never expected to see you this way,
But unexpectation's the norm anyway.
Your coy, flirty smile and two-A.M. jokes
Are under my skin and clouding my hopes.
I don't care to know your logical path.
Sometimes it's just best when your heart does the math.