Tick, tock, its getting louder, thats the clock on the wall.
She gets up for another cigarette and a coffee refill.
Four in the morning, eight hours since he left work.
No sign of the bastard, not even a goddam phone call.

Love at first sight, the finest thing she'd ever seen at the mall.
Everybody had an opinion at the time, fuck them all.
Her life to live and she knew right off he was the one.
Fourteen when they first met, nineteen when she had his son.

They were the good old days, best of times those early years.
Young, strong, naive, carefree and hopelessly in love.
Nothing back then gave any indication of the coming pain.
They were slaves to a roaring passion, that fueled and intense flame.

A lifetime ago it seems they could make love at the drop of a hat.
Now he won't touch her with a six foot bat.
She likes to workout, takes care of herself, still looks the same.
But somewhere along the way, a storm extinguished the flames.

Thought she was tough, no prob, she can play their little games.
Overlook the late calls and anonymous notes from his witch.
Found out yesterday that the business trip was really  a 
one week getaway to the Poconos with the bitch.

Whats the problem, she wonders aloud, I can get any man I want.
Rhetorical question, she knows the answer.
She gets the house, money, the kids, the ring on her hand.
The heifer wins the war, walks off with her man.

They've become actors, skilled at perpetuating the sham.
Trapped by the lies, their egos and mutual love of the kids.
It's unreal,  seems like an episode of the twilight zone.
Nobody wants to be the first to breakup this unhappy home.

Tick, Tock, its getting louder, thats the clock on the wall.
Funny,  the things that cross your mind when time slows to a crawl.
Wife goes nuts, blows away husband and lover with his own gun.
Sighs, she's out of coffee and her cigarette is almost done.

Looks out the window again, wipes away a tear.
Picks up the phone, listens to the dial tone.
Shakes her head slowly, its a fucked up way to live.
Stalemate, sooner or later something's gotta give.



Stalemate - copyright © 1999 Ahkenaton  all rights reserved