I play this record, Never, skipping on base clef discordant
notes,
the needle dances softly through the dimming day,
play it twice, Never, sipping vodka to get words down,
thumbing yellowing prose about a dead rose wilting exceptionally,
selling free songs and blurbs for the past,
Never rides along like an old jalopy,
whispering in my ear, have
you ever loved?
chuckling seriously, even if he isn’t serious,
mysterious moon molding my room into a white forest,
better to lie still so the cackling bugs won’t find me,
Never, see my half-full glass nervously whimpering?
Thrice you repeat with steel toes on my back,
producing images in black and white,
about a distant fight,
Never, please lower the familiar tune,
I still swoon from your melody
and I know you’ll last forever,
but give me time to severe these sharp pains,
Please, please, Never,
don’t ever vanish completely.
