I pick Number 1 as well.

But if your heart is set on Number 2, you should edit the typography and perhaps move the black bar and copy to the top to balance out the ground. The leading is too wide between the two lines, and it all being on the bottom makes the entire image bottom-heavy.

OR, if you want to keep them all together, I would separate the words the way you did in the first version, with ABSENCE in the first line and the rest just below. But ABSENCE would be kerned wide, the letters all caps, and right below, smaller, the entire line matching end to end with ABSENCE. I'll attach a file to show what I mean...