A Song of Repentance

I have your letter and it's memorized
from reading it over a million times
And I have your picture pressed between pages
of a journal composed of my crooked rhymes

And I have your smile burned in my memory
I've been haunted by ghosts of laughter and love
Because all this while, I've wanted you by me
as close as the rain and the Holy Dove

You were my woman and I was your man
and we had our moments, but we had our plans
Oh dreamer, dreamer; a dreamer am I
for just one more chance to drink in your champagne eyes

There are three things that my heart recalls
an altar, a ring, and a wedding gown
We painted our dreams upon the walls
and then scene by scene, I tore them down

I never meant to cause you no pain
and I never meant to cause you no shame
and I never meant to leave you out in the rain
I never meant to break your heart
no, I never meant to tear it apart
I shouldn't have ever let things get that far
I imagined you bawling when I saw the rain
and I thought about calling but was stopped by my shame
and all I could do was whisper out your name
And I never meant to put me before you
when I couldn't imagine me without you
when I couldn't imagine loving nobody but you
And I never meant to break all my promises
I never imagined three doubting Thomases
all lining up to press their hands into your side
No, I saw the scars and the stone rolled away
and I saw you victorious over your grave
and I couldn't stop myself from putting you back in your place
Now I'm praying to God to raise you back up again
and I'm praying that maybe one day you will understand
that I never meant to throw THIS all away...