You Have Never Lived Because You Have Never Died

I saw 13 black crows as black as 3AM

and as big as vultures eyes

with wings hanging to their sides like laundry on the line

they were standing in a circle letting their tongues dry

they’re coming for me like thieves or ghosts

stealing songs, and whispering poems to themselves

about nonsense and existence

I don’t want to die

I saw 4 black eagles, with horns growing towards the ground

like columns or anchors reaching for the bottom

their feathers folded like hands on a man resting in his coffin

bending over each other rattling my bones

drumming out the answers in ways I will need one day

their hooves are giving me growing pains

I sleep like a tornado

I saw 18 black hawks, with beaks full of teeth

roaring like a pack of wolves in perfect V

with hoods over their eyes to cover up what they’ve seen

secrets bouncing off the insides of their lips meant for me

they landed on my life like spears, ears tucked back like arrow feathers

wings spread wide like storm clouds over kansas

hailing on me teaching me their dances, they gave me armour

We will never die, we will never die, I don’t want to die, we will never die

we will never die, but we don’t want to try, I don’t want to die, I won’t let you die

we will never die, we won’t even try, but if we never die, then we never really live

I saw 9 black owls, they were quiet as death

they had talons like antlers growing from their hearts

and they were tearing me apart

each bird was tagged like cattle with one word

and they burned them in to my mind...they read

you have never lived because you have never died