Taxiderme

three brown chairs and a yellow bookcase
the fridge-light shines off the mantle-piece
carpet squares under our feet
keep us related while we sleep
old silhouettes slaughtered encased in glass
brief looks hold hands in a hallway dance
notes ring out from a ghost ship band
these nights take so much longer to understand

since you thought you had this beat
since you carved off all the meat
have I been the silhouette you look for
in your street

and you
you're still smiling
cause I haven't told you yet
you're brandishing those eyes
and I can taste my breath
wondering how
the hell I'm going to say this
and I can't believe I hear

please cut out these foreign words
patch them up and make things work
surely we aren't victims now of taxiderme work
cause this was not laid out in plans
this is not all we had
have I been the silhouette you looked for
in your head

and my favourite everything of you
are the things that seem least like you do

and you
you're still smiling
cause I haven't told you yet
you're brandishing those eyes
and I can taste my breath
wondering how
the hell I'm going to say this
and I can't believe I hear

I'm going to miss you
my best friend
and I wish you were here