text: By The Old Willow Tree 120 seconds. That’s all I had. I had 120 seconds left to live. It’s a funny feeling. Counting the seconds before your inevitable death. Usually, people don’t know they’re exact time to live. But I did. That’s what the red ominous numbers said at least. The red numbers ticked down the seconds I had to live. I feel bad for the people who die alone. All alone without anyone to spend their final moments with. Count me lucky. I had someone screaming in my ear as my final seconds “No!” Willow screeched trying to yank the collar off my neck. “They said it would come off” She howled, tears starting to stream down her face. “Well, they lied didn’t they” I grunt clutching my bleeding leg. She starts to bawl in tears. “We were meant to leave” She wipes tears “Together” she screams. “Well, sometimes in life we don’t get to choose,” I say her my voice restrained in pain. She starts to frantically look for a way out. “Don’t” I Stop her gripping her hand “It’s useless to refuse the truth” She grasps my chest and starts to cry into my shoulder. “It isn’t fair” She sobs “I know I know, life can sometimes not be fair,” I tell her trying to soften my voice so she relaxes “So what do I do!” She sniffles. “There is nothing you can do, I guess just sit by my side I don’t want to die alone,” I say my voice cracking. I am not scared. What’s the point of being scared now. I accept the fact that my moments are slowly slipping away. I hold her tightly in my arms as she uses my shoulder as a pillow. Just like we always used to do. “Well there is one thing you can do,” I tell her. “What?” She asks impatiently “Sing with me Willow,” I say softly. My shoulder is drenched in tears as she buries her face in it. “Of course Domingo,” She says as I wipe her tears and she clears her throat. “Want to start,” I ask her and she giggles. “Ladies first” She giggles through her teary eyes. I chuckle and start to sing “Under the trees” I sing as we exchange lines like we always used to do “Over the River” She sings her voice gulping with almost every word “Down by the stream” Even with her gulping her voice as beautiful as ever “Through the meadows” The relaxing tone of her voice removes any thought “Across the leaves” All I think of is her “Cross the bridge” The memories of her flood my mind “And past the seam” Where we would sit in the willow tree and talk “And there you'll find” Those were some of my favourite memories “The old willow tree“ Her voice is soft almost angelic but not as high “Here I'll be waiting” But that’s a good thing she sounds like she is singing me to sleep “Here I'll be sitting” I imagine being back in the tree “For you to come find me” I imagine being way back when “Under the trees” When we would sit there for hours “Over the River” We would forget about the world “Down by the stream” Because in that tree there was just us “Through the meadows” Nobody to stop us “Across the leaves” No worries to stress us “Cross the bridge” Just us “And pass the seam” Sitting in the willow tree “And there I'll be sitting” I just want to freeze time and stay in those moments “In the old willow tree” But I know I can’t “Here I'll wait” Those moments will forever be in the past “For you to come hold me” I won’t be making any new memories any time soon “Here I'll wait” My seconds tick down “For you to watch the stars with me” But the whole world freezes as I just listen “So come down by the old willow tree” To Willow’s beautiful voice “It’s Under the trees” I could never really sing “Over the River” My voice always loses tone “Down by the stream” But her voice always kept a majestic tone “Through the meadows” I feel as though she is singing me to sleep “Across the leaves” One last lullaby “Cross the bridge” Before I sleep “And pass the seam” And never wake up “There you'll find” I close my eyes “The old willow tree” And start to imagine death “There you'll find” I just imagine it as a nap “Me” A nap “Waiting for you” You will never wake up from “To come and sit” No worries just sleep “So come find me” I smile “I'm down by the old willow tree” As willow sings the last line I look at the ominous numbers as they read. 30 seconds. I trail through Willow’s hair with my left hand as she holds my right hand tight. She always reminded me of a willow tree. Not only because of her name. Her deep brown eyes would remind me of the rough but welcoming bark. The bark we would always climb. Her silky long green hair. Dark green just like the leaves. Leaves we would always have to peek through to see the moon. 10 seconds the numbers read. Willow doesn’t whimper anymore instead she says “Any final words”. “If these are my final moments I am glad they’re with you” I respond as I feel a sharp jabbing pain in my neck. My world starts to fade to black but before it does I turn Willow’s head to face me. Our eyes lock. As my vision fades to black the final thing I see. Is her beautiful brown eyes. They twinkle in the sunset. “Don’t worry I’ll always be waiting, by the old willow tree,” I tell her as my vision fades from twinkling brown to black.