there is such decay
in this aging flesh
such pain clawing
through these limbs
gnawing at the fibers
of transient being
and yet we hold on
grasping at perpetuity
while gasping our last
precious promise
of certain intransigence
and desperate need
we seize at vitality
angrily breathing needles
piercing our veins
with chemical inducement
and medical murmurs
moistened with tears
with trembling limbs
we prostate ourselves
before imperceptible
deities
touching coldest stones
with sweaty hands as
generations of ghosts
have
done before
