The Only Hope of Placeholders

He had several ways to leave
And 10 reasons to
But reasons he wasn't sure were the right ones
For right now he spins in circles
And ingests her dark tattoos
And--encircling well-worn mottos--
     he'll stay trapped inside a mode
     with steel teeth
     and iron grip; this boy with broken
legs and looping words

She had several reason to change
And many methods to
Methods she didn't think were convenient.
Convened with her worst tendencies,
She still tends her worsening state.
With a water can of silence
     and a mulch of muffled malice,
     jaw wired in place
     and aligned with sharpened words she goes;
this girl on treadmill tracks

With 20-some-odd years
And--let's say--11 friends
Are you drenched or dry or drowning?
Or perhaps you're safe on shore.
I suspect you can't interpret--
     it's way past way too much
     growing late
     the nights are leading.
     But it's a marathon race...

There were countless rainy days.
And countless more without it.
Still, your pictures are just paint
Until you see them from a distance.
Those insistant strokes are broad--
And they'll persist after you're gone.
     So try to take it easy
     When the scale's a little grey.