On her 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 of 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 on 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
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 the blade ends
Compressed, depressed
Those are just words
Now, the toxic blood keeps running its track
Is my mind the prey?
I want to give in
Or 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