i remember the afternoon you told me
silver sunlight peeked through cellular blinds
and bestowed upon you a cold halo
you were sitting on my side of the bed,
and my legs dangled off of the side that faced the door
i think i was getting ready to run
sometimes i look back
and feel like a man clambering up
the ruined walls of babylon
(he was born there, he had planned to die there)
the stones of the wall give every time
and he falls again
and again
i've been trying to think of it more often
the sick relief that i felt
when the rapture came, when the trumpets played
there was perjury in my eyes,
icicles melted off of my chin
helium filled my lungs
screams turned to church bells
i dove through the window and limped off
may god forgive me
i only looked over my shoulder to make sure you weren't following