we have friends who haven't died 
who aren't quite 
in this life quite our friends anymore
who are quit who are not quite quiet
there's a stillness humming
where they were
an x over their image x flashes
in their undead eyes
we didn't put there
it wasn't there then
it just appeared
it won't ever disappear entirely
like the grin of the cat
the x image won't 
we will 
never know them anymore 
in this life
in a flash
they were
but they haven't died
they live even 
in the same city
the city of the dead 
and they who 
still live