alone he dances, arms poised
to embrace his demons, all of them
slaves to the lonely, lonely waltz
deaf to familiar lyrics, familiar
only to an isolated pulse, they succumb
five feet under with hardly a sound
sadness soaked into the carpet,
regret blasting from a sole speaker,
shadows swaying slowly to the despair
in slow circles, pale limbs posed, in silence
chin raised, closed eyes,
still heart
they captured him, alive
in the viewfinder, with bated breath,
in a monochrome world
a fixture to the window, behind his lonely throne,
unmoved by worship, pleas,
or sorrow
time flows, streaming, like
rays seeped in from drawn curtains,
poured into the cracks of stone-cold skin
like blood rivers of fallen statues, hollowed,
forgotten do the drops of light cascade
down his face
it is as the sun fails to rise,
and he falls, soundless, that he wonders
if this is the right side of heaven
yet feet dragging along in the uncertain
silence, still they dance to the soul
ballad that never ends
Grim Fandango, by LucasArts (I played the remastered version by Double Fine), was my primary motivation.
“With bony hands I hold my partner,
on soulless feet we cross the floor,
the music stops as if to answer,
an empty knocking at the door.
It seems his skin was sweet as mango,
when last I held him to my breast,
but now, we dance this grim fandango,
and will four years until we rest.”I played it to 80% completion four years ago, and finally 100% last month. But it’s amazing, truly.
Don’t be like me. Do yourself a favour - play it, finish it, adore it.