clank, drip, creak
the ghost of the robot crawls downstairs
we should have oiled him
he did beg most profusely

we thought it funny
those little creaks, the aching squeaks
his crying pleading
you’re wasting more oil, we told him, with those oily tears

he died he died he died
what do we care
we survived

how flippant and wrong
i see it now
cannot sleep, too afraid to peek
ghost of the robot crawls downstairs