Margin for Error

[Intro – Muted, restrained]
I left room this time.
[Verse 1]
I used to draw the line in ink
Now I sketch it light, let it bend
Routes overlap, times run thin
I tell myself it’s being efficient
The rules still stand — mostly do
I just don’t stand where I used to
I give myself a little space
In case something needs its place
[Pre-Chorus – Low, uneasy]
Preparation isn’t fear
It’s knowing I might stay here
[Chorus – Cold, restrained intensity]
I leave a margin for error
I don’t call it loss of control
I just don’t fight the pressure
When the moment takes its toll
I don’t break
I don’t bend
I just don’t stop it in time
[Verse 2]
I pack two ways to end it now
Tell myself it’s caution, not doubt
Stay longer than the clock allows
Because leaving feels worse somehow
I don’t rush the final sound
I wait for quiet to come around
That wasn’t part of what I planned
But I didn’t pull my hand
[Pre-Chorus – Tighter]
If I wanted out, I could
That’s what control still means — I should
[Chorus – Stronger, darker]
I leave a margin for error
Not chaos — just flexibility
If it gets messy, that’s pressure
Not a flaw in me
I don’t break
I don’t bend
I just don’t stop it in time
[Bridge – Short, clipped, unsettling]
Just in case
Just in case
Just in case I need more
[Final Chorus – Slight distortion]
I leave a margin for error
I still say when it’s done
If it goes too far, that’s weather
Not the hand, just the gun
I don’t break
I don’t bend
I just don’t stop it in time
[Outro – Flat, disturbing calm]
Next time, I’ll plan for it.

Dark industrial rock hybrid, male vocals, droning guitars, mechanical drums, restrained delivery, psychological menace