Inner peace on an inner street,
Carpet floors at the children's feet,
Oak trees climb up out of sight.
Painted door on a painted night,
The other side you can touch the fright,
The lashing is the least of their pain.
We all make our own way,
The long way from home.
Love in heart, belt in hand,
Innocence had another plan,
Penance will be paid with their fears.
Darkened room to shade the cries,
Tears of terror burn their eyes,
The marks won't fade with the years.
We all make our own way,
The long way from home.
The curtain's drawn, the shadow cast,
However long this moment lasts,
The leather is imprinted on my life.
The moment when I heard the call,
The times I thought I'd seen it all,
The memories I carry by my side.
Shut the door, no one leaves,
Explaining doesn't bring relief,
The walls look on with sympathetic eyes.
Siblings ready in a line,
The punishment to fit the crime,
But somehow we laugh instead of cry.
Dad, you know there's another way.
If different then I'd be different today.
Our shape is formed by our shame.
Turns a brother into a torturer,
A youngest into a dog kicker,
A sister combs her hair in front of her face.
We all make our own way,
The long way from home.
Down the road, beyond the storm,
Trying just to get along,
What we get we pass it down the line.
Shadows dark still remain,
Inner work has made a change,
The pain of feeling broken all the time.
Relationships I've had a few,
Finding love is nothing new,
We seek the ones who bring us to our past.
Connected to my other self,
Who watches from the highest shelf,
Grown from the mold I was cast.
Dad I know when we came your way,
You did it different than in your day.
A new one had begun.
You broke the chain, sheathed the knife,
Led us to a better life,
Together we looked toward the sun.
We all make our own way,
The long way from home.