You painted a picture of me so very white Pure as the treacherous ice that grew between us And when I failed to live up to your zealous image The portrait you painted whiter than white A shade too pale for me The brush slipped to reveal A shade that was truly me You needed more than I could have ever been You took more from me than I had to give You wanted more than I could ever have been You left me less than I have ever been And the all that I gave you was never enough To sate the possessiveness of your jealous soul Hailed as messiah Apotheosis beckoned But the sanctity of godhead didn't last long It turned to whipping-boy and then to pariah Led on by devotion to my slaughter You needed more than I could have ever been You took more from me than I had to give You wanted more than I could ever have been You left me less than I have ever been I gave you my love and kindness too You took it all and more I'm down on my knees But what can I do? Because I still love you An overbearing fear of imagined loss Blinded you to the nature of my faithful soul You offered no life beyond your watchful gaze Love was crushed as the walls closed in And joy died with identical days Confined in the prison of your own making