8.The Never-Ending Story
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!
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