there's a hole
that leads to a river
and there's a ferryman
but you have to pay
it's just a dollar
(or two)
not much
but enough
and all you have to do
is pay
and he will take you
to a line
of wraiths and ghosts and ghouls and souls
(they were all once people
[like you]
but they changed
and are no longer human)
and then your life flashes
and they don't know your pain
only your story
and then they judge
your worth
they judge your worth on your story
and then you leave
maybe to a hero's welcome
maybe to a lonely field
maybe to a raging pit
but you leave
and it's been years (decades? centuries? millennia?)
you've been alone
for a long time
maybe you will pass a blonde man
all alone
looking into a pool at a black-haired girl
or you will pass a boy
staring down
yearning for everything denied him
or
maybe
it will be someone you know
and they will look at you
but they won't see you
and they'll try to call out
but you can't hear them
(it's ok
nobody can
they can't even hear themselves)
and you'll float by
but you can't stop
you can't stop
you can't help
you can't do anything
you can only observe
and it goes on
for years
for decades
for centuries
for millennia
and it doesn't change at all
and maybe you'll see the ferryman
and someone else will be paying
but you can't see them
and you'll try to call out
but they can't hear you
(it's ok
nobody can
you can't even hear yourself)
and you can't warn them
and the ferryman will turn
with eyes black as the ceiling
and teeth like needles
and he'll smile
but it isn't nice
(why didn't you see it earlier? you'll wonder)
and he says
"you have to pay
it's just a dollar
(or two)
not much
but enough
and all you have to do
is pay"
but it's not just a dollar
(or two)
it's much more
and you'll try to call out
you'll try to say no
you'll try to warn them
but they can't hear you
(but it's ok
nobody can
you can't even hear yourself)
and you'll look down at yourself
but you'll look through yourself
you try to stop them
but they can't see you
(but that's ok
nobody can
you can't even see yourself)