Stay
by Aoife Mannix
An earthquake of crickets, violins across scorched earth.
The blueness of the water after the siege is over,
the sun sinking in perfect pitch to the orchestra of the church bell.
This moment of all moments in heaven.
If the sea were to stop,
if the stones were to erode into moon wolves,
if the tide were to give up ticking,
if all of time turned out to be an hallucination,
I would still be here with you, now and always.
In the brightness of the North Star,
the warmth of your skin flowing through me,
silver ripples across the night sky.
I hold your ship inside this glass bottle,
a message washed up on the shores of your eyes.
Rescue me, believe in me.
When the walls burn down and the stars go up in smoke,
when the mountains turn their backs
and there is nothing but broken glass on your tongue.
In the sadness of this lost music,
the ghosts of all those in between places,
I will be the light switched on
to drive the shadows from the room.
And no matter how late the hour,
I will never ever leave you.
