One Breath Left

Trapped in traffic on the road to hell

With no soul to sell

Took the first exist I passed

Went to find a motel

Wound up broke down in a ghost town

Nowhere to phone for help

I asked the vultures where to run to

& they muttered "Go for self."

I climbed out of that grave,

A dream that gave way

To a daisy chain made of days;

plastic wrappers,

cigarettes,

cough drops

rest stops,

Wal-marts,

snatching up the jacks

before the ball drops

It all falls apart

Moonlight rises

at my back

before I have time to react

or memorize my raps"¦

Nevermind finding the way back

grinding my break pads into dust

Just in it for the laughs

My words turned into symbols of invisible math

Like witchcraft;

the crowd became a critical mass

that was tipping toward collapse"¦

slipping from my grasp"¦

friend's all pulled the rip-cord,

wished me all the best

I went digging in the dash

and found a map back to the rest.

I made it on my last gallon of gas

and a stack of bad checks

nothing to show for the stress

but a fresh load of debt

and a cold in my chest.

(Chorus)

"“But if I got one breath left"“

I will hold it in my chest like the shit ain't over yet.

"“But if I got one breath left"“

I will keep it a secret, my only defense

"“But if I got one breath left"“

I will rip off the oxygen mask, spit off the top of my head

"“But if I got one breath left"“

I'll suck wind from the valley of death.

I burn holes into my writing bench

putting out the spark

then relight "˜em in the dark.

I walk the night watch.

I mark the progress of my thoughts

Present my reports to the break"“

the break of dawn"“

stalling on my wake up calls,

Leave some paint on the walls

Play through the pain for the weight gain on tour, Same as the great names who came before"“I acknowledge their presence but keep on rocking in the present!

What good is the art if it doesn't bother anyone?

The arc of the setting sun

a rotten millenium

Still tripping on it's tongue

Choking on the shit in it's lungs

mimicking buzz,

A one-trick-gimmick-drug

With an ugly side-effect

I ain't too high to realize it yet!

I let it all ride on a fool's bet,

and do it to the death!

And listen for the silence while I

scream it at the deaf!

If they come to get me next,

My lungs will be emptiness.

Without a second thought or pause,

half step,

or idle threat"“

I will summon something from the depth

and fucking come correct

Even if I got one"¦ left"¦

(Chorus)