My First and Last

School yards to smokey bars
All these shadows a long the wall
Wide eyed under endless skies
When ceilings seemed so tall
Erase and replace
I found a monster to call my own
Reflections trace a changing face
Regrets in flesh and bone
I've built this castle in sand
It becomes smaller with every grain
I've built this future with my hands
The silhouettes mark my gain
Suffocate this child and choke on the result
These seeds with no light
A blind will to grow
Blueprints of descent
It's etched in the past that we all know
Scarred chins and splitting shins
Callused with fears that show
Erase and replace
I found a monster to call my own
Red crayons and open hands
I was taught by sticks and stones
separated but the kids still breathing
Somewhere in between
It's when our limbs they weigh us down
We retrace the seams
But under cold rain and hot air
I once watched time stand still
I stepped back and smiled
At the small shoes that I've filled