The days go by so slowly, but the weeks fly right on by
Echoes of you everywhere, and all my heart knows is to cry
The emptiness without you is almost too much to bear
With a pain this intense, my best and only tool is prayer

It takes all that I have in the morning to just get out of bed
I keep thinking of all the regrets and other things not said
They say that time heals all wounds, but I do not think this one will
The world just keeps on spinning, when it feels like it should be still

Every night I go to sleep, thinking I will see you tomorrow
Then reality hits me when I awake, and I struggle with the sorrow
This was not supposed to happen, and certainly not this way
But if I were to see you again, what would I even say?

We stayed so distant because we both needed our own space
Yet all I feel are hurt and regret, now that you're in another place
Are you looking down on me, watching me from above?
If all I feel is grief, does that mean I feel your love?

I have so many questions, the main one being, "Why?"
Why did you have to leave us, and why could we not say goodbye?
Did you think that you were sparing me, to take away my begs and pleas?
I still want more time, and for us to make new memories

The house feels so empty now, without your presence around
I listen for your voice, and your heart in every sound
Can you come stay with us, and sit with me for a while?
I would do almost anything, if I could get to see you smile

These are the words that came to mind, and they don't feel like enough
But it is too hard to think that clearly when dealing with something this tough
I keep expecting you to come back, to say it was all just a scheme
That it was some secret plot, or even just a dream

You would walk up from your office and sit down in your seat
I would hug you tightly and just listen to your heart beat
I would yell at you for leaving us, and bury my head in your chest
You would say that you just needed time, because you were so stressed

But since that is not reality, no, just my wishful thinking
Instead I look to the night sky, and notice the stars that are twinkling
I will pick one of those, and choose to believe it is you
Because as much as I am hurting, I am sure you miss us too

So I will do my best to be a man, and soldier on without you
For no matter what anyone else may think, I will always talk about you
I will never stop hurting, this just means we had a lot of love
I cannot wait to embrace you, when we join you up above

Mom and I will be okay, you do not need to worry
The love of God is with us, the author of our story
For although this chapter hurts, and there are tear stains on the page
I will remember you in every sentence, and with the coming of every age

For to have had a father in this world, it truly was a blessing
You are no longer in pain; there is no more hurt or stressing
We may have had our differences, but I was lucky to call you dad
I see it all too clearly now: you were the best I could have had

If these paws could write, I would tell you thank you. For my food bowl, for the water bowl, for the treat bowl I loved ever so.

If these paws could write, they would tell you how much I loved your warm clothes from the dryer. The way you held me in your lap while I slept. I would write about how much I loved being your baby.

If these paws could write, they would write about how you saved my life and gave me a second chance. I would write unending about how I could fit in the palm of your hand, and how you gifted me with sight that I would not otherwise have had.

If these paws could write, they would tell you how grateful I am that I got to see you and to be loved by you; how wonderful to have become part of such a large family, and to be surrounded by my own kind and people that loved me.

If these paws could write, I would write you a sonnet that Shakespeare could never dream of. I would tell you how happy I was to make biscuits in your lap, and how you put up with my sharp claws that dug into you with love because I felt safe.

If these paws could write, I would write to you about how happy I am now: to be free of pain, to be able to see without any problems, and to be with my sister, brothers and nephew again.

If these paws could write, I would tell you this: do not be sad because I am gone, but be thankful that I was here. Cry if you need to, but not for too long. I understand that goodbyes are hard, but you will see me again. Don't let your heart get so heavy, that you don't let another in.

And since these paws do not write, I will say that I love you, and my last word will be the first one I said to you:

Mama.

Though you've left me, lost not found
It is your voice I hear around
Silence of sound permeates this room
A life remembered, hearts filled with gloom
All friends and family gathered 'round
I can't bring myself to make a sound
A love undying; a heart felt broken
I lie awake with arms wide open
In the dead of night, I witness your embrace
I feel your breath upon my face
I dream once, and dream again
Your love I feel, though not like then
As these ghosts of our love surround
My memories open my heart abound
Echoes of our love remain
Grief and silence, sound and pain
Those sapphire roses that I once bought
Say thee nothing, they were for naught
All the thoughts of which I find
The echoes of your essence remind
I see you not, but hear you there
Though in my mind, you're everywhere
A love as ours shall remain long and true
Even with only echoes of you

As the Phoenix rose from her ashes
And the Dragon silenced his roar
The distant lighting flashes
And he swoons as he watches her soar
For he had seen never something so bright
She burned with a fire that could not be doused
In this the Dragon felt contrite
And all her enemies the Phoenix would roust
She had this way about her, something so soothing and warm
Legend told of her beauty and intensity
And how she could calm every storm
The Dragon enjoyed her propensity
He found her beautiful, alluring and strong
The Dragon was mesmerized by her brilliance
She sang such a beautiful song
She exalted such resilience
The Dragon could not help but sing along
Though the Phoenix may have her battles, she will always win the war
For the Dragon sees the warrior
And her magic quiets his roar
So the Dragon is no longer a worrier
She moves in a way that's enticing
With every move that she makes
The Dragon will never abandon her
No matter how hard the ground quakes
The Phoenix is a one of a kind
An answer to a prayer
There is no greater light that the Dragon could find
Than the beauty of the Phoenix's flare

When you met her, she melted you with her words
She soothed your aching heart
Made the dragon inside you cower in fear
She brought you hope and became your light in the dark
You fell for her, hard and fast
Because that's what you do
That's how your heart works
Should that be considered your fault?
The way you feel, so intense, so unrelenting?
It isn't hers, and you know that, so why are you hurt?
You didn't listen, you never do
Because you're fooled by illusions that you create for yourself
Imaginations of a life that could never be
She's in love with someone else
How can she possibly care for you the way that you do for her?
It's not her fault, so don't be upset
You can't help but wonder if you really mean anything at all
Because you've been here before, haven't you?
Yeah, you have, several times
You're so used to being the other guy
A place for the hurt to run away
And seek shelter from their pain
Even now, deep inside somewhere you're hoping
That somehow in the future things might change
But you know all too well how futile that is
Because you've been there before
Yeah, you still remember that night in that apartment
You knew better but couldn't resist
And all you were to her was a pawn to make HIM jealous
Should it be your fault that you gave that woman something you can never get back?
It didn't matter how many times you gave her the answer, she kept asking
"No" was not something she wanted to hear, so what did you do?
You cracked, because you didn't want to make her mad
You felt like you were doing something wrong by saying no
Because men are supposed to always be consenting, remember?
In your mind, you thought you were easing her pain
But really she was causing yours
Four years later and it still haunts you
You're afraid of getting that close to someone again
But she wasn't the last
Because she wasn't the first
Let's talk about someone more recent
Nine years of knowing this other woman and you thought she really cared
Boy she had you so fooled for so long
You always thought that once HE was gone, it could work
But then he was
And you were too
And she didn't even look back
Not once
Not even when you reached out
Because you gave her what she wanted
And all she did was take
So now you're just left thinking
Any love for you must be fake
You're cursed, aren't you?
Placed under a spell
To constantly love a living hell
All you want is love
Just somebody to hold
But it's been more trouble than it's worth
That's why when a familiar face returned, you fell so hard and fast
Boy you must have hit your head on the way down
Because you know that no one could love you like that
A brother, a friend, a close friend
But that's all because of who you are
You've heard it all before
A great guy, easy to talk to, anyone would be lucky to have you
But there's always another guy
You're just the place to run away
And that's all you'll ever be
Because even though you feel so strong for her
And even though you're left wondering if maybe it's even more than just strong feelings
You know deep down that you'll just be alone
Never a place to rest your head
But you didn't want just anybody
You wanted her
But you have to respect her wishes
You don't DARE step a single foot across that line
Because you've done that before too
When you gave what you can't get back
She'll move on and love on and she should
You are not her responsibility
Even though it hurts and it aches and you might feel a little crushed
You can't possibly be mad at her because it isn't her fault
She's special in ways you can't even describe
And you don't want to lose her at all
So even if you are just a place to run away
You want to be that for her
Because you love her, don't you?
You're saying no, you don't, you just think you do
Maybe you're right
Probably best she doesn't know
Yeah, it's just a crush, that's all
It hurts but you'll move on and find someone else
And she'll love someone else too
Because you've been there before
And you'll be there again

You have nice teeth he said
Yeah, I replied. I've got these
thoughts in my head that I
never get sick, that I'm big
and strong and that my life
will be long.

Yeah, you know just what
to do. You've got the wolf in
you. Your friend is different.
He's not the same,
kind of meek and tame...
And I've seen the trolls,
some that are big.
Looked at their feet, tried to
touch 'em and I almost did.
But you know many things and
smart are you too.
You've got the wolf in you.