Lizzy Burnam 🐞

Upon the witching hour, 
at Higgins Beach in Maine,
two friends began a search 
to kill what keeps them sane

His name was Every-Way
Her name was Ever-Lost
and hand-in-hand they ambled 
to find the albatross 

Along the shore they met 
seabirds of every kind 
but none were like the albatross 
who glided in their minds 

The cacklebird, the creepybird
and everybird between 
solemnly swore the albatross 
was nowhere to be seen 

But then the seastorm blew 
and then the saltwind waved 
and the albatross emerged
with both his black wings raised 

Every-Way was splintered 
into a web of fear 
and Ever-Lost began to pray 
that she would disappear 

The albatross, unfazed
and with a cheeky wink
marked an arrow in the sand
and then began to sing: 

Decay is only later 
and now is always full 
and sinking leads to swimming 
without an airtight hull 

Life is always backwards 
and death is upside too 
and though you’ve come to kill me
it’s you who’s killing you 

Lost and Way were buggered
and nearly did refrain 
They looked into each other 
and saw they were the same 

But every mind is hard as stone 
without buoyant belief 
They danced on to their scrambling
with feathers in their teeth