06. I Was Dead Before the Light Came

A spectral song hummed above the whole grave plot

As I was ushered into the cavity

By a show of grace (or compulsory display)

You were stationed to lay right beside me

First we spoke pretty small; you didn't feel sick yet at all

And I found the movement of your face mesmerizing

I got lost in your sea of curves

But I needed your form to be preserved

And I'll embody the archive before it's erased

Because what's a mirror supposed to look like anyway?

We turned to jeer at the bodies that brought us here

Hearing laughs from our invented audience

Then we traded digs at our personal superlatives

As if we had anymore need for preference

Then the sky synced up with the sundown in my gut

I can feel the nausea gnaw at my stomach lining

"So what do you think the last thing you'll be thinking will be?"

"I hope it's something more cheerful than dying."

"Well, I'll bet you the stars

We'll be shrouded in lantern light as they enter the yard

And we'll drink their vials clean

And be cured of the chemicals as they let us set free

And we'll go down our own roads

That lead to our homes and those we still know

And we'll remember this night as some strange, distant dream

But I'll cherish the reflection that you cared to share with me."

The vision ceased and my eyes were growing heavy

But I could swear that your stillness was smiling