Concentrate


Concentrate
On something else
To forget the pain
The pain will keep inside and fade outside
And generally make a nuisance of itself
Concentrate on something else
I shall help you forget
Make your mark on the slate; do not lose track
I shall help you forget

He is such a dear small boy
With his fearful white face far paler than any of us
--Concentrate
--And his small hands and his brown eyes
--Concentrate
--And his freckles. Dear small
Boy

The pain will surround you if you let it and consume you if you let it
And the hurt will keep you close
Does that make sense?
Anger has an embrace. The boy who lay in a cell in a Spanish prison
For so very long
Burning with half-anger half-ache because
His companion should have come for him
And saved him
Yes, that boy knows that
Anger has an embrace
The hurt will keep you close

--Concentrate
--And friendship, too, has an embrace
The boy who returned to his ship and was swept over land
Through France
Through panic and madness and blood
Who returned to his ship and shook, perchance, when no one
Was there to see
And then was allowed warm arms that
Promised a safe sort of safety
Love is so much more than kisses and the same bed
There's more
Shall I love you?
--Concentrate
--I shall help you to forget
I shall stand up for you when the mad-eyed man returns
I shall love you by teaching you to concentrate
--Concentrate
--On something else
I shall love you by taking your place when you ache too much
To bear up

It is better that way
It is something to hold onto that remains solid
It is something that stays firm when the ship rolls in the dark

I shall love you as he loves me
I shall love you better
I shan't make the small mistakes he makes
It shan't be as grand as his
Grand and honourable love
But his companion-love
His friendship-love
I shall give it to you
--Concentrate,
Concentrate, Wellard. Keep your mind off
The pain
Concentrate
Don't think on anger or hurt or on the pain
Don't let it touch you hold you fondle you make a film over your eyes
Like the boy
With a piece of mirror
In his eyes
Don't let it make you see things as ugly

Just keep your mind away from it
Concentrate
Concentrate on sand and glass and minutes hours years concentrate on
Time
And I shall love you
I shall love you by showing you how

Concentrate
To forget the pain
The pain will keep inside and fade outside
And generally make a nuisance of itself
It will stay hot and sharp in your stomach and burn your eyes
And make you ache
Forever
The boy in the Spanish prison
Waiting, waiting, waiting, aching...
I promise you--
Concentrate on something else
I shall help you forget
Mark down the falling sand and I shall love you
I shall help you forget


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