Bitten bullet, broken jaw Glass bottom boats with views of concrete slippers Good intentions, greedy thoughts Too much ambition left this family bitter Praying, where’s the risk in that? Answered by a partner who was a welcher A cage of ribs, a habitat He keeps the bottom-feeders so well sheltered Thickening thieves rolling up their sleeves, now they're digging in the haystack deep, searching and searching 'til they’re stabbed by what they seek, they're counting on it but there’s no reprieve. Seed took purchase/ underneath the surface/ in soil it could not afford but all of its spores And tendrils spread until it left for dead the earth that held its breath and the planter’s hopes were all but choked The plans that were made, are now worse than erased, and now they have to trade one of their live's for the one they wished to create. Picked apart, inch by inch over walls of tally marks Inside restrained, outweighs outside living stained To weary to evade, back to shackles or better yet hanged. A swallow followed the key turn. A change of heart doesn't change what you are. All we’ve got is ourselves, guess we got what we wanted. He answered our prayers now we all regret his responses

Escaped the oubliette, stole inside where you rest. I’ll trade this grudge for my pound of flesh. Strangled a cry in my brother’s throat, had him bound before his family woke Six years shackled 'cause I was betrayed, you spent them hoping my ire would fade. We took turns as Abel and Cain to settle debts but when your offering failed you sacrificed me instead. I’ve gathered all you’re worth, your family's tied by the pieces of you that wouldn't stay behind. My temper’s simmered but now it’s dressed in kerosene. Cause he traded blood for amphetamines, And my brother he got away clean. His guts they spilled, Now I wait until He's dead at my feet. You’ve proven that piss and cowardice are thicker than what runs through our veins As the bloodhound tracked down the perforated quail that counted on it not being chased. You ran through the reeds, the moss and the rocks, but I followed our bloodlines til they got you caught. I’ll pluck out your feathers in front of your flock. Pray to your God they don’t watch What’s the point in bravery? Everything's lost. I'll watch you burn in hell with me. We’ve earned that sordid lot. Tell the ones you hid this from, turn away. Don’t make them a memory, one they can’t erase. Any famous last words? You’re all hatred and hurt. The hunt was exhausting but I found my clipped bird.

Grew in the shade, til there was strength to climb the ivory to your throne Saw our sister perched at the loom thread her fingers into brittle stones I’ve heard God’s always watching, well he must be getting bored of us by now Pressed up against his looking glass (cursing and) casting his failed experiments down Left to my own devices/ (It’s all that’s left of me, the wailing’s deafening) I’ve proved I have none ( You always stood alone, an idol for my own) When I’m out of surprises (I’ll tell you what I know, our family’s dried up bone) I’ll concede you’re the golden sun/son (I’ll never succumb, there’s no chosen one) We share the same roots/ The dirt just needs just needs to be shaken loose Dry out in tangles We’ve bolstered legs but still we are unstable I played William tell with the apple of my father's eye. Now I know what we all look like on the inside And what's a second son have to do to get his parade? A smile of pride and his fair share of the estate? This marks the fall of our family tree And everything that grew beneath Goodbye my pride and my last in line. Beware (my heirs of your divide)

I’ve had wolves at my door so long I’ve given them names. They sit and wait patiently for me to join their ranks. I’ve grown addicted to the taste of licking my wounds ‘Cause the cross you bear is the one you end up nailed to And I’ll fall three times if you can crow twice We made it all the way to the gates just to be denied (We both play Peter ever night) We sing songs about being broken/ When we’re not worth breaking Early on we grew to hubris and left our guards’ wide open. Now the sound of our groans have grown grating I switched out my organs but remained the same. Learned a change of heart doesn’t change what you are. All the votives I asked for and candles I’ve lit/ Aren’t bright enough to lessen my dark Your words can earn you feathers and tar Or place you at his right hand without trying too hard. We make speeches about being hopeless/ When we’ve got everything to hope for Listen closely and know that we stole this We’re the spawn of those who were told and went forth We flew too close and measured out our own rope/ Then we burned ourselves out We talked us up until we were tall enough Then we tore ourselves down I’m full of myself but not man enough to fill this shell Our sickle cell is our vanity, our pride keeps our us atrophied Come time for you to choose I prayed I would be refused (and you’d select Barabas) It's arrogant to wears this crown of thorns you’ve prepared (Martyrdom’s a filthy habit)