For the Faithless

You'll know they're wrong 
They won't believe you 
Death will be an annoyance 
Death will not quite kill you 

You'll have to keep writing to count them 
Those subtle, rattling deaths 
One day you'll be glad you had them 
if you start to live again 

They'll hurt you 
whether or not you deserve it 
They'll sneer if you get scared 
As if there's nothing to be afraid of 
in a world of vacant stares 

You'll have to keep writing to count them 
The things you're not supposed to feel 
until you have someone's say so 
But feel them you will 

You'll love them when you want to hate them 
because of details you'll remember 
You'll be wary when you try to be reckless 
because changes are forever 

You'll have to keep writing to count them 
The dignified things distorted 
You'll get nowhere when you fight it 
Knocked out when you ignore it 

You'll reach out and lose a hand 
You'll try to reattach it 
You'll be the first to name their virtues 
and discover you imagined them 

You'll have to keep writing to count them 
Your other, angrier faces 
Filling pages, purging poisons 
to be good company for the faithless