thank you

Where were you
when the music died
were you in the darkness
cigarette in mouth
notebook in hand
staring into the woods
were you working your life away, toiling endlessly
were you on the highway
caffeine-addled and sleep-deprived?

where were you, my friend
when your life turned
from comedy to tragedy
were you busy in the shower
washing the hate from your skin
were you on the roof alone
drunk, with only the streetlights
to bear witness?

were you buried in rain
were you gasping for breath
were you cursing the walls
cursing yourself
and everyone else?

where were you
when the life you knew
excused itself
and then committed suicide
while you walked away?

when did the night
and the diesel roar
become your enemy
when did you walk away
from your own bleeding wounds
what sent you into the night
never to return?

who stands in your stead
answers to your name
uses your mouth, your hands
makes love
but in the mirror
refuses to make eye contact
who is this man
living, breathing in your stead
is he the answer to the question
how do you begin
once the music ends?

he is waiting
for you to thank him
for pulling you out
of so much misery.