in the sweet by-and-by

i say goodbye more often times than i try

lessened now

it's been forced out

returned the melodies

panic ain't worth it

not when it's so warm

don't spoil the ending

distracted defending
are you through pretending?

we both learned the two-step

you went ahead and slept

i was at the back burner

you were the head turner

figure eight

you'll do so great

when you can abate

increments

enjoy the view

on the obvious descent

how did you become better

at taking care of others

than yourself?

just let it out your mouth

i hate what you've become

but
i like the freedom

in a reasonable amount of time
hopefully we can lay claim to the crime

your brother loves detailing his sedan
mama jumped back into the frying pan
papa's stuck on the transistor
and your sister's a believer

it's just a lot to take in right now
because no one gets to tell you what to disallow

hate to break the news
but since i am, how about some cigarettes and booze?
i hate to leave you bruised and confused
i'll see what i can do
let's see if we can't blackout these blues

on the overprotected tennis courts
you rehearse your repertoire of retorts

the mailman is still judging you daily
except for when you sleep in on sundays
the captain is an escape artist
and deputy's not the smartest

cahoots and cohorts
repos and reports
incestuous interests
where everyone else knows best
stockholm syndrome backscratch pact surfeit
not a bad racket if you can bear it

it's just a lot to take in right now
because no one ever tells you how to disallow