a single ugly word escapes your lips a commom curse a common cold turned into a deadly epidemic hearts upon swords and tongues just as sharp a quarantine agenda an escape from the realism of shadowy fingers around your throat a dry heat in your lungs heavy and oppressive like a million hands and quicksand a walking still-life contradicting every law of physics a paper-thin mary magdalene a whore in costume and name alone a coil of dust pretending to be a universe you're a strand of dna corroding and decoding until there's nothing left but skeletal remains a place where the lights shone down and burned you on stage to the applause of a million hands like hammers upon your head you tried so hard to sell yourself but you slipped the tongue to one too many a slip of the tongue set the sky falling like a beautiful cascade of stars set aflame touching your skin like acid rain spiraling from the clouds a filthy heaven spreading lies and illusions to feed your delusions to feed your need to feel like a martyr and you eat from a million hands covered in dirt disease and decay just because they supply what you demand