Say: “Try to giggle through
Total catastrophe,”
But those happen often.
And any which one could
Could land me in a coffin,
Say, “Nothing’s so dire
That it’s worth getting down,
Try to grin through insults,
And smile through a frown.
Try to coax the hatred
Out of your beating heart–”
But that’s so much to bare
And difficult to start.
Say, “Every second spent
In bitterness and beer
Is a second wasted
Embracing toxic fear–”
But that’s just how I’m built,
I say, don’t even try,
You are wasting your time
So this goodbye.
But before we parted
She whispered, leaning in
So personal and close:
“Do what you think’s right, but
It’s important to note:
Even under the bluest sky
Every singing bird will die.”
Tyler R. Martin
bourbon, cigarettes and syllables 