is it like a
snake's hiss
or Satan's kiss
or the very first wish upon a star?

is it like the
silent word
unseen, unheard
or the minutes as they smash into the hour?

is it like a
martyr's purse
or winter's curse
or the songs they hang from trees?

is it like the
endless ride
of the endless tide
or the foam that dances with the seas?

is it like the
shortest straw
that's been drawn before
or a window as it closes for the night?

is it like a
final prayer
or a reckless dare
or a flame's barely flickering light?

is it like the
game of love
a forlorn kid glove
or the singer as she wrestles with the song?

is it like the
dice of fate
rolled far too late
or a death that takes too long?