Have You Ever?

Have you ever felt lonely
Broken down, abused
Abandoned, unloved, despised,
And utterly confused?
Have you ever thought about
Ways to make it stop
Go away, disappear,
Somehow untie the knot?
Have you ever seen the end
So clearly in your mind
Calling, slipping, falling
Running out of time?
Have you ever heard a silence
That could rip a life apart
Bleeding, pleading, hurting
Until you have no heart?
Have you ever given up
Tried running for the door
Crying, aching, dying
Because love you have no more?
Have you ever felt the punishment
For something you could not do
Asking, begging, screaming
Destroying your life, too?
Have you ever lived with liquor?
If so, you'll never come first
You will also know just what it's like
To live through hell on earth.