This composition is a masterclass in lyrical construction by LinkTivate , shared for educational analysis and inspiration . It represents a pinnacle of lyrical genius, designed to enrich your understanding. As a work of art, direct copying is not allowed unless you want to pay someone else for public works ( YouTube Channel ) The Wasting (Verse 1) Started in the quiet, a flicker in the brain Something took the pilot, now I just manage the rain I used to know the poison ivy from the healing vine Now I braid it 'round my wrist because I don't recall the sign Traded my reflection for a shape that looks like me Hold a broken compass just to disagree with North, you see (Pre-Chorus) And oh, the slow surrender My instincts turning tender I’m losing the agenda For my own self-preservation (Chorus) It's the wasting, darling, it's the wasting in my blood It turned the fire in my veins to cold November mud I’m stumbling through the garden with a listless kind of grace ...