sometimes he misses the nights spent in bars
he still doesn’t think it would ever go that far
but now he says there’s light out there like stars
brighter than anything you can see from where you are.
some body, some vampire
you’d think he slept for days
that he just hibernates
that he wakes violent in the basement
of the tower of his mistakes
but now its early to bed
and much earlier to rise
from dreams shaped like steam
to cloud the mirrors of his mind
how can he keep from pushing all the comfort away
just get that soot from his eyes where it settles each day
make him get dressed
and paint his cities red
then tell him he has to leave when he says he wants to stay
follow the tracks
she cauterizes and hot-wires
set the earth back on fire
a cheap date and a good liar
clean bones bleached brighter
westward trails can’t stay his hand
break his jaw when it looks like you can
blood on the desert blood in the sand
follow the tracks of beasts in the land
look lonesome like burned down
he’s got it made, his fake shout
and lies to sift over town
desperate for whats been taken out.
something above him like a vulture but worse
held his hands out and caught it like a curse
all at once centuries of thirst
a hundred seems just begging to burst
oceans
oh my good grief I remember the days
when we watched a storm move his bright life into shade
standing motionless, eyes wide and colorless
hope against hope against hoping for a reset
reach for each other
take a breath and take cover
some of the colder days are sunlit and hand-fed
some of our nights were made to be moonless.
we packed up and spread out
like our city burned down
and it’s so still we can hear the smoke moving around
we remember the look on his face
as he pulled fire alarms
there are some things you love
because they pull you apart.
