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we're all a cosmic hiccup
a frame in the stop motion starlight
and all the kinky quirks and tears and scars and passion
can't negate the fact that we once weren't
and once won't be

but the welling blank brink
threatens an absence we can't afford
belies the simple truth etched in the universe

that we

    are
    were
    am
    was
    is
   
can be
will be