KEY:

Tell Me About Love Friend

Anthony Anaxagorou We’dseeneachotherintheugliestforms

Fighting,

broken-nosed,

laughingwithBLOODYgumsandTORNskin.

[BEAT]

We’dseeneachotherheartbroken,

drunksomewhere-grippingtheneckofabottle

asif,itwereourownsuicidefault.

[BEAT]

Ihadseenhimasleep-assuredthatNOBODYcouldEVERhurthim

ALIVEinhisdream

POSITIVEthatanightmarecouldbeshakenoff[takesmallbreath]

Or,thatagoodthoughtcouldbeprolonged,

justtoberemembered…until…tomorrow.

=Spokenwithsadness/despair

=Spokenwithsweetly

=Spokenneutral

=Spokeningrowingdistress

=Spokenindistress–shakyvoice

=Spokenalmostinawhisper–sad/regretfultone

=Spokeninslightdisgust–angrybutsoundingtearful

BOLD=focusonword–raisevoice(slightly) [italic]=notes

Hehadseenmetopless,skinny,

sayinghewishedribswerestronger,

thathewishedhecouldtrustthem,[takesmallbreath-inhale]

buthecouldn’t,

neithercouldI.

[BEAT]

Yearslaterweweresittingwithmanywhowerelikeus

inacrackledyard

wherethesmellofsweatwasalwaysthesame

andthenoisewasalwaysanindustryofchainsaws.

Hehadreturnedfromdisappearingagainlookingdifferent

whenhedrank

hiseyeswouldfallovermorefrequently

likehewastryingtoleavehimselfinaplaceofhopelesssobriety.

Hespokewithpavingslabs

Muscledtohistongue,eachwordIwouldchasedown

someoldhawkishstreet

justasIdidbefore.

Inatimethatfavoredtheshapeofdays

wespokeaboutthewayoftheworld

itscalamity,itsmisfortuneandallthoseunsponsored

backsweonceknew.

Therewereneverquestionsaslongasanswers

hadasound,

Therewasbrillianceinhiseyes,

stardominhisdrunkenness,

IcouldseeagainthegeniusIcalledfriend

upuntilIaskedhimforhisthoughtsonLove

-itsunfloweringwreckage,abandonmentandthingamble.

Chuckingthelastpoolofliquortothebackofhisthroat

hebowedtheglassandwalkedclearouttheplace[takesmallshakybreath]

leavingnothingbutmebehind.

NowIsithurtingsomestruggleslatersomewhereunknowntohim

inanageofuntemperedconcerns,worriesofadifferenttexture.

Warsstilloccur–hewasrightaboutthat,

Booksareforeverweapons-hewasrightaboutthattoo,

butImisshishappeningtroubles,thosechatteringchippedteeth

thatspokeinauniversalcurrency

Yet,justtheotherdayanotearrived

addressedtotheyoungerme,ameonlyhestillhad

-itwashandwritten,defiantintheageofmodelbinary.

Itreadplainlyasifithaddiscoveredforitself

theshortestresponsetomymost…lasting…concern

[BEAT]

forgiveitall.[shakyvoiceasifabouttocry]