Almost And If Only's

I almost loved you forever
And you almost loved me
I almost kept your heart
We were almost free

But Almost is the word
That destined us to fail
It's being imprisoned
And almost getting out on bail
It's seeing someone on the street
And almost saying hello
It's almost being able to stay
But instead you had to go

You were almost mine
I was almost yours
But Almost is the word
That closed all of our doors

We almost made it
But, alas, not quite
I almost kept my temper
But instead I had to fight

Almost is like If Only
If only you had stayed
If only I had stopped you
But instead I watched as the loose ends frayed

If only I had tried harder
If only I had seen
That you deserved a Prince Charming
And I should have treated you like a Queen

But If Only doesn't help me
If Only's just a wish
It's dreaming of flying
If only you weren't a fish
It's wishing the past were different
Wishing things were better
It's wanting to say something to you
But not being able to send a letter

Wishes are just daydreams
Silly fancies to pass the time
Daydreams are fairy's and flowers
Good things like magic and spells that rhyme

Well I haven't the imagination to daydream
Haven't got it in my heart
Because I hadn't even realized
That when you left it'd break apart

I want you back so badly
I almost was able to say
That I love you so very dearly
And will to the very last day

But now we're back to that word again
Those six small letters that so haunt me
They're a knife in my side
Chains that won't let me free
Because now I never see you
Now I simply cannot
Only in my dreams
And then my heart begins to rot

I see you in my dreams
And apologize for everything I've ever done
But I wake before you can give forgiveness
Though you'd have every right to give none . . .

I had had a bad day when it happened
But that gave me no right to shout
And I'm sorry that I did
Sorry that I pushed you out

I yelled and you got in your car
And then you drove away
And you almost swerved out of reach
That car almost didn't hit you that day

The doctors were almost able to save you
You almost survived you know
God almost let me keep you
But instead you had to go . . .

If only I hadn't yelled
If only you had stayed
If only I had stopped you
If only the ends hadn't frayed

I wish it hadn't happened
Wish it wasn't true
Because life doesn't seem worth living
When I've got to live it without you

But sometimes in my dreams
You smile at me and say
That you want me to be happy
That everything will be okay

And I'm almost able to believe you
If only I could
But I can't stop wishing you back
Even if I wanted to I don't think even in my dreams I would
Because you deserved so much better
Than the life that you got
You wanted to grow old and have children
We were going to tie the knot . . .

I think I know what you'd tell me
If you saw me this way
You'd tell me "Stop moping about"
Tell me that everything would be okay
"And you'd better not just almost believe me
Because that's not good enough you know.
You're going to be fine, and as for me . . .
It was time for me to go.
Oh, If Only I hadn't died,
If Only  it weren't true,
But we don't need If Only's
Because I live on in you.
Oh, I wish it were different,
Wish there was a way,
Well there's not
But that's truly okay.
Let go of this dream of yours,
This silly little fancy;
I know of your pain and hurt
But now it's time to move on without me.
So give up on your Almost's and If Only's,
Let go of those wishes and dreams,
Because those things aren't good to dwell on;
All they'll do is tear you at the seams.
So please, for me, smile and laugh;
I don't like to see you cry.
And of course I forgive you and still love you!
Now goodbye."

With All My Heart

You used to grab my hands and spin me around
Throw me up high above the ground
Read me books when I went to bed
Tell me all about my smart head
Cuddle me when I was scared at night
Kiss me on the head and turn off the light
Make me laugh and smile
Help me make pillows into a fort-ish pile
Make believe all sorts of things
About aliens, super heroes, witches, and kings

Well now I'm grown and that all went away
But I remember it all to this very day
Remember when you taught me to ride a bike
Remember helping you make breakfast and the like
Remember when you taught me to read
And while we were playing let me lead
Helped me with homework and such
You gave me so very much
For so many years
Through smiles and through tears
We've hit a few rough patches I know
Nothing so drastic as a tale of woe
But I have made many mistakes, it's true
I had stupid boyfriends and got a stupid tattoo
But you always stuck by my side
Even when I shouted and cried
Even when I said I hated you
You always knew just what to do

You were always there
You were always offering love and care
So thank you, with all of my heart
Because you were always there to help when it got broken apart

More Perfect Than The Moon

An old man sits on his old porch
Staring out at a dusty barren scorch
His eyes are dark, but not his soul
His heart is so very far from coal.

He sits there with his banjo, playing a tune
About a girl as perfect as the moon
With the free spirit of a bird, a dove
As soon as he met her he fell in love

But her father wanted her for bigger things
Didn't want her for peasants but kings
Memories flash before the old man's eyes
And soon his grandson can hear his cries

A young boy steps out onto the porch
Taking deep breaths of air from the scorch
His eyes aren't dark and neither his soul
And his smile is one that could melt even coal

He gently takes the banjo and starts playing a tune
About a baby as perfect as the moon
His little sister who didn't come by crane, but dove
For children can feel the most pure of love

With his little sister the boy can play all sorts of things
Make believing giants and castles and witches and kings
A future flashes before the young boys eyes
And his father finds him with a smile on his face as he gently cries

A father sits with his father and son on a porch
Staring out at a memory filled scorch
They all sit in silence, seeming to share the same soul
One that will never be hardened into coal

The young boy hands the banjo to his father for a tune
About their family, more perfect than the moon
With a grandma, mother, and baby, all as free as a dove
About their pasts and futures, full of much love

And all of them vow not to forget a thing
And all because the old man found a girl who chose him over a king