I'll Follow You Into the Pyramid

I followed you past the crater
The wide open gaping crater
Where the dinosaurs huddled together
Crying little dinosaur tears
Hoping they could stay warm
Even as the earth itself was freezing over

I felt how warm you were
How warm you kept me
As the glaciers poured into the mountains
And the water swept over us
I knew you were going to keep me warm

I followed you into Victorian society
I followed you to tea parties
And watched you nibble on crumpets
And served you toast and jam
While trying to catch your eye

You were upstairs, I was downstairs
You were dashing, I was a disaster
My mustache never curled right
And when they found the maid murdered
I was the only one who didn't realize
That the butler did it

The other butler

I remember being shipped off to India
With the rest of the staff
When the plague hit the house
And the horses ran out of the stable
Carrying the daughters and their parasols

I remember you standing there
In your hunting outfit
Holding a fox by the tail
I saw you put it down
And let it go

And that was that

I followed you to Woodstock
Where I lost you
During Tim Hardin's set

I followed you to the Wall
Right before it came down

You were on one side
I was on the other

I followed you on a boat
Across the ocean

You had a little girl with you
I think it was your daughter
I was alone
I was often alone

I followed you to Paris
Where I stayed for eighty-seven years
Eating lots of crepes
And wondering if I would ever have the nerve
To talk to you

To tell you that I'd follow you
I'd follow you anywhere

How do you say that?
I wish there were a word for it

I've spoken hundreds of languages
I've spoken different dialects
I've spoken dead speech
Filled with words
That mean nothing now

I've written poems using the blood of my enemies
And they were beautiful and a deep shade of red
I've written haikus on ratty notebook paper
Back when I was thirteen
For the seventy-first time

You were sitting across the classroom from me
And you were shy
You were always sort of shy

And I was always sort of goofy
And we were always across the room from each other
And no matter what language we knew
Or what words we could summon
We never did

We just never did

And if you want to know

How many more people have to come and go
How many more deaths I have to experience
How many more notebooks I have to fill up with your name
How many more maids have to die at the hands of vengeful butlers
How many more pyramids have to be built...

I don't know
I don't know how much longer
I can keep going

But for now
For this life
I'll follow you

I'll follow you right into that last pyramid
Right as they're closing the door
I'll be there

Wondering what comes next