Stray(S) (Alternate)

I was up to my neck in apologies
For the war they had waged over me
Two ill-tempered ideas
Tearing down the house
Guess I've been loaning it out
To the wrong crowd

So there's another heart
That plays the part of mine
Forgetting all the lines
But it beats right

And I'm off to the side
Or somewhere in the seats
Just trying to keep the peace

Did we forget the cost
(Something got me to give you up)
Of living good and lost?
(Someone told me there's no "enough")
Our loyalties divided
(Somehow took it to mean the worst)
And cast across
(If there's a reason just make sure that you get there first)

I was down with the strays seeking charity
Wondering if I could seem deserving
Couldn't see what became of the family crest
A realization my pride couldn't digest

But if there's another key
That gets you through the door
You won't know what it was for
Till it's too late

'Cause I'm diving through the trash
And there's nothing but belief
All rotten in the heat

I couldn't get it past you
The pain that had gotten used to me
While you planted salt like seeds
In my every open wound

The tireless glare of the brake lights
The collars that hugged us too tight
The crack of my caustic voice
Made a mockery of me
A travesty of what I tried to be

But did you get there first
Or did the vessels burst?
Did we offend the water
And die of thirst?

My head is going south
Just trying to hammer out
A less complicated route
To the wrong place

And I couldn't bear the cross
So I'm holding it aloft
Just auctioning it off