a sigh and a breath compliment
this moment of silence

a picturesque stillness that captivates
and activates an audience to emotional action

...and there will be tears

...selectively hearing ears pressed against an almost
empty chest and if they stop breathing; stop blinking and
cease the curious whispers,
they can actually hear the off-beat cadence
of a beautifully broken heart...

...and there will be blood

in this morbid theater of theories and fear
a decision is made

and on this cold stainless steel
an incision is made-

-and they gasp!

their voices captured in their upper torsos that
still contain souls {that haven't yet escaped
through the holes that were the aftermath of an apocalypse-
ending in the parting of two pairs of lips... never to touch again}

...they stare - eyes containing no depth
just pure blankness... nothing at all

a latex hand reaches in then retracts

a scream reverberates from the theater walls and for a brief
moment, he holds it in his hand

fingers extend as the object descends
to the sanitized floor
...and no one says a word
...and all they do is stare
as an elderly woman in the front row falls into unconsciousness-
-and is welcome with arms wide open.

...and all they do is stare
...and all they do is stare
...until a high-pitched voice pierces the quiet
innocent and untainted; naive and warm

"Wh... what IS it?"

But most are too far away to see

that on the floor-

-removed from the chest

is a picture of you

when you actually loved me