You dare me to confess, to show you my soul
Reach in the mirror and pull out what I see
I find only pieces but you want the whole

You ask for the lamb, but there’s a lion in me
You hope to see a saint with hands raised high
And don’t believe the sinner who begs to be free

My soul is like snow, where it falls let it lie
Every touch leaves a stain, snuffs out the glow
It’s hard to catch the flakes before the wind makes them fly

You want me to show you what you think is soft snow
But not the scarlet drops that melt on the white
Turning into black ice as they tumble below

There’s a coward in me, but she’s willing to fight
What’s snow without a little blood splatter there
If you’re worried you’re too close, you should be. I bite.

You want a sun lit path but the sign says beware
At the end you’ll find barbed wire, a wall, a cage
Not a delicate flower or the mask that I wear

You don’t see my soul till it’s penned on the page
I’m just a jumble of thoughts that you can’t hear
You see nothing until I’m naked, my heart on a stage

I don’t know where I end but my beginning is clear
I balance on the tightrope, sweat dripping on the wire
Is it my soul you want, or just the smell of my fear?

One step is just an inch and this rope is made of fire
I’ve got miles to go and minutes till I burn
Each flame calls my name--friend, sinner, lover, liar

With lungs full of smoke and courage I turn
Closed eyes, raised hands, I surrender what I’ve got
Lean forward, free falling, no net, no concern

I plummet head first into the depths, into the rot
Into every crime and sacrifice and perfect pure intention
It’s scattered at your feet--what I am, what I can be, what I’m not