I live on false hopes

They help me cope

I don’t have to know

Until it’s too late

 

By then I’ve measured

The depth of my fall

Thickness of the walls

I congratulate myself

 

For being so young

And dumb

And holding out

For nothing at all

 

I wear my heart on my sleeve

Where it can breathe

And the memories walk

Right through me

 

Without leaving scars

Just tiny marks

I polish on Friday nights

Quite lightly

 

A collector of things

Without value

I fill the tombs

With books I never found time for

 

And these false hopes

Keep me warm

I’ve known them all along

I forgive them for what they are