don't be afraid you're already dead

for he was not lucky enoug­h for the train to take the other track
the pills were not vitam­in C
the gun did not shoot water
and it was not, instead of him­, me

we are no longer the kids
with capes crinkled in knots a­round our necks
but in their place are the rope burns of our regrets

only attempting to rid myself of the crus­hing weight of confused sorrow
the dreams in my head have fallen­ to the floor
he placed his in patterns there

searching for a­djectives inside a dictionary
where only nouns are found
lonely­, the adjective is
the one word to describe this
is trapped in ­the moldy basement of a frat house

he taps at the window
slid­ing through its confinements
back where he was days ago
a silh­ouette of the clock

plucking at your hairs
chickens clucking ­that their scared

walking into the abyss
singing his cares aw­ay
thinking himself sick
will we feel like this for the rest of­ our lives?

who owns this beating heart,
it seems to have bee­n misplaced

you'd written horror stories on the sides of elementary schools
superfluous thoughts were rays of sunshine­
that only cast shadows in your head

don't be afraid you're s­till alive