When all should be done and gone, / he comes round again to see, / he can’t keep himself
away. / He touches her hand and it starts again. / His work is an ugly mess. / He prods
and it cries in pain. / He kicks and it starts to scream. / He hurries away when she
cannot see. / When all should be done and gone, / he comes round again to see, / he can’t
keep himself away. / he touches her hand and it / starts again. / Moving so slowly, /
droplets of kindness / that poison and choke / when this thing should have died long ago.
/ The entrails are soft and warm, / this time it must be the end. / One touch and it lives
again. / He keeps it alive to be part of its pain / (and that’s mercy. / And that’s
compassion. / And that’s being good friends in a crisis. / What’s one corpse between
friends?) / Oh / oh-oh-oh… / Leave it, boy. / Just leave it alone. / Stop scratching, or
it’ll never heal. / Just let it lie in peace. / Get out of the way, /get out of the way, /
the brakes cannot last for long. / He knows he must let it go, / he knows but he keeps a
hold. / He touches her hand and it / starts again. / Ah! / Ah! / Ah! / Moving so slowly, /
he drops it so gently, / urging its life / to a peak to torment it again!