Served Faithfully

he caresses every bottle
 like it's the first one he's had
 saying
 it ain't love
 but it ain't bad
 it's the only reward
 bestowed upon me
 and i have served faithfully
 i can see he is scarred
 from doing some hard time
 but i let alone what is broken
 'cause it isn't mine
 he strikes out at me
 when i am within reach
 then he reaches for me
 when i draw the line
 sometimes it seems like love
 is just a fancy word for compromise
 you gotta read between the years
 you gotta write between the lines
 you gotta try to understand
 the grandness of the man behind the petty crimes
 and let him off easy sometimes
 i have only just met
 an old old friend
 we've been walking around holding hands
 i hope some day he can bend
 as far as it takes to understand
 and risk breaking open again