this is the line
in the joke you can't remember

the tick tock of time
counting off the days that your here

the mercury dime
tossed in the wishing well

the measured worth of life
these days it's hard to tell

this is the height
that is taken from the depth

least we forget the bite
that holds the hand of death

the slice of the kitchen knife
that's used to cut the cord

what it is you thought you might
but you know you can't afford

this is the sign
that won't be around much longer

where you come back around to the line
in the joke you can't remember