Tough exterior
Tore apart
Piece by piece
From the inside out
Knowing the fight
Was a losing battle
Too stubborn to quit
Hope was the last hope
Never giving up
Headstrong against the odds
Purely out of spite

Like buried treasure  
You've lost the map for
You can't always find it
When you're looking
Sometimes it turns up
Where you least expect it

It's true
A world without love
Life would be much easier
No pain
No heartbreak
For the love of money?
Nope
No corporate takeovers, no greed
For the love of power?
Nope
No wars, no genocide
Without love
There would be no hate

It's true
In a world without love
Life would be much easier
But
Life would be incredibly dull
Like the stars had been plucked from the skies
All of the color had been taken from the sunset
No more passion
Progress would cease to exist
Laughter would be heard like silence
And a baby's smile wouldn't mean anything

It's true
Shadows couldn't exist without light
And the truth remains the same for hate and love
A world without love might be easier
But that's a world I don't want to live in

Before I met you
I had resolved to stay single
That was the safer route
I had grown tired of being hurt

Sometimes during the night
I would look at the stars
Wondering, if there was someone
Out there looking for me as well

I remember feeling distraught
Over the pain life had handed me
Not understanding why
If I deserved the pain
If I even deserved to ever be happy

Because others hadn't appreciated me
I had lost the understanding of my own worth

Before I met you
I had been used
Abused and confused
Alone
Wanting something I thought I would never have

A needle in a haystack was found
When you came into my life
You were the one to recognize my value
You showed me what it meant to feel loved

Your sweet disposition and honest smile
Helped me to forget about the past

All I can see now is the future

Not a day goes by
Without you on my mind
The moments without you
Seem to drag on forever
Yet I wait for you
To see you
And feel your embrace again
To protect you, held in my arms
I wait for the day
When we are together once more
Finally without obstacles
Standing in our way

Taken
Stolen from me
With my guard down
I let it happen

I gave up willingly

As a man
I try to be strong
I carry many burdens
Upon my shoulders they rest

I don't let my guard down
For just anyone
I don't let everyone in
I especially
Don't hand my heart away willingly

For you, I have
No regrets
That is how it should be
You've unchained me

The walls I had built
To protect me from harm
Only left me imprisoned
Yet they crumbled
With your charm

You make me feel
Like anything is possible
Dreams aren't something
Only when you're asleep

Sometimes, they're granted
Once reality and heaven meet

We are young
Maybe not forever
Being carefree
Moments don't last

Sometimes our paths are set in stone
Burning out too soon
Leaving someone
A family
Alone

I've learned of you
Through family and friends
The best was always said
You were a best friend
Before a dad

But
You became a dad
Unknowing that the future was short
Two sons, your name
The seeds you planted
Each, each other
Never the same

We have grown up on different paths
Never forgetting
Our father
Who didn't have a choice
To not be there
Because cancer is a ****
Gave you the last time with us
Being sick

We don't judge you
We only miss you
And try to be the men
You would have wanted us to be