Last Chance

He needed us
To believe his story
Of a metal mountain
So massive
It would one day
Tip the earth off its axis
And hurtle our plague
Into space

During each attempt
To enlist volunteers
We laughed
Drank our scotch
And smoked Chesterfields
Until he walked away
With blueprints
Wrapped in his fist

Eventually
He gave up on people
Like us
Choosing to roam the alleys
And parks
Still mumbling to cats
And children

When they found him
Stabbed and frozen
In a heap of aluminum cans
I had to wonder
If we had killed
Another savior