Only the River

Close your eyes and hold your breath
An acrid air is rising
Through your lungs into your veins
It's gonna stain your blood
We began so pure of heart
Tomorrow we'll remember
How once upon a time was just
A calm before the flood
I wanna feel your love all around me
Stand alone but know you're there
Turn away the lies that confound me
Strike a match send up a flame
Where only the river knows your name
Narcissus at the water's edge
Staring into nothing
He's gonna miss the game again
But he'll still know the score
Tracking every ball and strike
The vanity of the click and like
Trolling for a battle
On his way to lose the war
I wanna feel your love all around me
Stand alone but know you're there
Turn away the lies that confound me
Pull an arrow back, take aim
Where only the river knows your name
So I got my diagnosis
And I moved among the people
I waited for the wisdom
But the wisdom never came
Looking back on wasted miles
When we were feigning fealty
From where I put my trust in you
To where you place the blame
I wanna feel your love all around me
Stand alone but know you're there
Turn away the lies that confound me
Cast away the hurt you claim
Where only the river knows your name
And the snares of life are beckoning
And we're years away from a reckoning
So jump in while you've got the nerve to swim
The dreams you have won't follow you
Like the dreams you've left behind
So consider this a letter
You'll open in ten years
A testament to how we try
To navigate our fears
The lack of sense in recompense
If you won't live in the present tense
Promise me you'll take a call from a lonely mutineer
I wanna feel your love all around me
Stand alone but know you're there
Turn away the lies that confound me
Strike a match send up a flame
Where only the river knows your name