For all the nights I have not slept,
Each waking hour my body wept,
Skeleton hangs willow-tree,
These bones hopelessly weary.
Night I
My feet touch black marble sand.
Distant sounds of beating drums to match our beating hearts.
I breathe in smoke, I breathe in you, I breathe in careless youth.
Our darkened silhouettes edged with red hot liquid amber against midnight skies.
We become fearless featureless shapes moving through the night.
I can’t do without you,
I can’t do without you,
I can’t do without you.
As we climb to the top of our world, careless chemical joy begins to flow through me and
I take my first breath, it is so complete and I feel so full.
I shiver and we run the beach, away from our solitude and towards warmer bodies. All eyes on us you take me home and we walk the city streets because we both know I won’t sleep until my mind is eased.
Night II
Bourbon. Boots. Vodka, wine, beer, beer, tequila, beer.
It doesn’t matter where we are because it is us and we are here.
We can be anywhere in the world. I can’t do without you.
A flirtatious kiss to the cheek. We dance because there is no option to stop. A sidewalk conversation. I take your beer. We dance because there is no option to stop. You spill your drink. You take my beer. Hey, hey, hey, I can’t do without you.
And you, and you, and you, and you, and you.
We wake up fully-clothed between the two of us.
Night III
We leave the city.
I remember beauty and joy in simplicity. I sleep easy before a fireplace. I experience the wealth of the Earth and intellectual conversation. I remember what it means to be truly at rest. I am myself, I am me – nearly.
Night IV
I look at the stars that I never really saw.
Night V
I am back to concrete jungle and my hands are shaking and my mind is weak and I am afraid again.
I wake once, twice, three times, until I abandon effort and
Empty eyes stare at empty ceiling.
There is nothing written there.
I worry about things that don’t matter and I feel like throwing up and I nearly do because the mind can do powerful things.
Night VI
We break two more hearts tonight, one for the second time. I watch you play. I wonder if I am complacent or cautious or if I care too much to understand what to do. I worry about me, my choices, my body. Guilty, guilty, me oh my.
I ride the streets home, more brave in the night (weaving in) lights drip down my peripherals (weaving out) my emotion my exhaust.
I stare at the geography of your face and wonder if I will come to know these peaks and valleys or I will walk this mountain path just once.
I never want to fall asleep because I am not finished understanding who you are.
I never want to fall asleep because you are not finished understanding who I am.
Don’t you understand?
Do you watch my peaks and valleys, are you writing on my body, are you reading my skin?
I never want to fall asleep.
I dream of broken toes and broken watches.
Each day my heart will falsely start,
A puppet come alive at dark,
And yet this heart holds no regret,
For all the nights I have not slept.