Empty Circle

To breathe
A constant reminder as seconds, minutes and hours subside

"Draw an empty circle on your yellow pad
This will be me, no insides in thrall
Stare at it a while, then erase the scrawl."

Sharp is the sound of pickax that hurts dead iron; still

It's gentler than what we've been told or said ourselves
It's gentler than what we've been told or said ourselves
It's gentler than what we've been told or said ourselves
It's gentler than what we've been told or said ourselves

At times it would be hard to
Figure out which is
Worse;
At times it would be hard to
Figure out which is
Worse;
At times it would be hard to
Figure out which is
Worse;
At times it would be hard to
Figure out which is
Worse;

The darkness inside
Or the darkness out

Or the darkness outside
Darkness outside
Dark inside
Or the darkness out