Learn To Live Without

You learn to take your coffee black You learn to drink your whiskey neat You learn to take your shower cold And sleep on tired feet You learn to order dinner in You learn to send the laundry out You learn to amuse yourself You learn to live without You tell yourself you're rich at last in money and in time You draw a bath and then unplug the phone You pour yourself a Pinot Clo Du Val 2003 You sit a spell a queen upon her throne You go to bed alone You learn to fall asleep alone You learn to silence ticking clocks You learn to turn the shades at night And double check the locks You learn to speak so calmly when Your heart would like to scream and shout You learn to smile and breathe and smile You learn to live without You find the coat and tie you thought you?d given to good will You stumble along a long lost set of chess You see him there in corners and in closets and on shelves And truth be told you?d like to see him less You stumble through the morning but you waken for the day You tell yourself that all is going well But now and then a sense of loss just slams you in the chest You know that no one else can really tell You make it all seem swell You learn to count the quiet winds An hour with no unprompted tears And not to count the deadly days As they fade into years You learn to stand alone at last So brave and bold and strong and stout You learn to somehow like the dark You even love the doubt You learn to hold your life inside you And never let it out You learn to live and live and die and live You learn to live without You learn to live without You learn to live without