Ancient

I’m tired

of all the lives I’ve led of all the skin I’ve shed

I have memories of earth when
it was habitable
I have memories of the first war

I’ll show you everything you’ll ever see

they’re starting to get exhausting these prophecies

déjà vu this jamais vu that

I watch people cry and I want to tell them
it does not matter
almost nothing does

I watch people listen to music and I want to tell them
yes, yes, yes!

I saw humans fight for ideas decade after decade
in a tireless search
for purpose

I watch people think that they love each other
I watch them actually love each other

I watch them realize the difference and I sigh

I have seen the fall of Babylon
I have walked among the shelves of Alexandria
I have been in Christ’s sheets
and in Beatles’ shows

I remember everything it’s paralyzing deafening
to merely

think

out of all the bullets I’ve been

shot out of all the times I’ve drowned

nothing hurt me
like finding people

and knowing well how they’ll end

out of all the lovers I’ve wed
out of all the children I’ve fed

nothing was more soul shattering than art