A part of me seduced by the siren’s call of self-destruction—
Who has not marveled
At the spectacle of a house ablaze
Casting ash and light into the night
Flooding the street with melted snow
A crystal palace of ice
Catching the first light of the dawn
So much tragedy and gratitude and beauty
So let me be
.
Tell me, sibling, friend, companion
What brings you relief
And if you have had to seek it
Like an impoverished fool assigned an impossible quest
By a king who was tricked into promising you half his kingdom
Wherein failure
Means that you die
.
I have never believed less in divine intervention
And I have never concluded so strongly
That only god can save us now
Onward to our doom
Whose only glory will be
The relief that is experienced
By the dead who leave no witnesses to mourn them
Or recall them
Or disturb them
.
Amen