All the faith carried in your soul
all the morphine lightening the load
they play a strange sad game
they lie in bleak dark ways

I listened to the doctor speak
while you read some ancient tome
and, yes, you know your body well
but pain isn’t the cause

This belief takes its small toll
the colour and the hope both drain away
defeatedly you feel you’re fading

But you’re not fading
you’re not going anywhere
I take your hand to emphasise
you’re not slipping from this life
you’re falling into morphine
warm and wide
with those tired eyes

You say to me
‘well, He is waiting
will you pray for me?
I feel Him come for me’
but even faithlessly 
I know He’s not ready
it’s just the morphine murmuring
as you try to start our last goodbye
I try to smile and say it’s alright

And you’re not fading
you’re not going anywhere
I look deep into your pleading eyes
say ‘you’re not slipping from this life
you’re falling into morphine
warm and wide
just sleep tonight’

In this windowless room
you’ll see no blinding light
coming for you in the night

You look at me and say you’re ‘sure’
think I’m angry because I ‘can’t bare to hear’
I’m just frustrated by those velvet hands in your head
and that absent God
all the morphine wet and warm
you’re wading in tonight

I love you
And you’re not going anywhere…

(August 2015)