The Bottom Line (About to Snap)

The Bottom Line

I stood on the burning deck of my life,
Watched my horizon unravel in the storm.
Between my 5 O'Clock shadow
And your indifferent lips,
I spied the zip on the dress you wore.

Beneath the shadeless lamp of anxiety,
And the contempt of these marble floors.
I choked on the toxic atmosphere,
Of false regret,
And the cyanide of remorse.

I remember you
In your laboratory.
Your tests said my condition
Was not benign.
You showed me
How you filtered
The impurities,
And with your litmus
Always find that
Bottom line.

Now I've dissected out the margins of delusion,
Then I annointed all your very holy sores.
Though on a thread of nylon
A heretic I hung,
On the gallows of the lingerie you adorned.

If I'd offered you the lymph
Of this most sacred bee,
Or the fleece from this vast
Renaissance sky.
Would you take from me
My chalice of Hemlock,
If I quote Shakespeare
And you tell me all your lies?

O I see you in your coat
So white and virginal,
Pipetting buffer
Until the mixture looks like wine.
I miss you in the evenings,
I miss all your miracles,
But they can't help us
As we approach
The bottom line.

At the end we all file out of this cinema.
In solitude we
Recall our favourite scenes.
I'll offer you some chocolate,
Help you on with your scarf,
You'll mention Bergman
Then I'll ask you what you mean?

Is this what we call love?
Is this humanity?
Self-interest
In a gaberdeen disguise.
I miss our rendezvous
When I could be your Harry Lime,
But Harry can't help us
Once we've crossed
The Bottom line.