they’ll try to take your death from you

and give you someone else’s instead — someone like you

and does that mean I won’t die? no, you will.

but it won’t be yours. and so what? if nothing is mine?

so what for who? for you? for them?

I’m telling you make a pile of beans, one for every reason you love today

exactly as many are in the pile which means why I fear I will not get another one.

I heard once Marrano Galba unfurled his fingers and within was a coin that bore the picture of the emperor

I keep that coin. I never sold it, but I promised to show it to so many people

I drew up contracts — on such and such a day you may see the coin for one minute and now

My title to the coin I got from Galba is worried with liens, it’s tangled beyond all recompense

Yes even when The Watchers from Beyond roll up the sky like a scroll. Even then.

Especially then.