I've been waiting for the dark to come,
and if you're quiet enough,
I'll take you to my grave.
Then maybe you'll see the ugly parts of me,
left behind by old lovers
whose flames burned too bright,
whose voices were too loud for my ears.

If you stay,
I promise to look within the girl
veiled behind secondhand smoke
and bruised knuckles.
I promise to dust off my cobwebbed heart,
and make room for you within the shallow waters
of my soul.

If you stay,
then maybe the tide will finally turn.
Maybe dark eyes will finally become divine.
So for the sake of science
and faith,
will you stay?