Because

[TranquillityBase]

Because the air is sick and dark,
dense with disease. 
My lungs will blacken and bleed
long before yours; you are accustomed.

Because I am the bird you left in the cave
with no one watching.

Because I reached out to touch your arm,
and your skin felt like leather.

Because sorrow is crawling into every corner of me
like perverted scarabs. 

You woke me with the kind of kiss
that can't be ignored, the kind
that asks questions
I thought I could answer.

The clouds assemble 
and begin their grim work. 

Because you cannot see the ink in the air,
and I am tired of being your beauty—
these are the reasons why
I am going back to sleep.

Coming in late here, but just to add to the list, I got an "ancient Egyptian mummy come to life" vibe from the poem, which I also enjoyed re-reading many times. "sick and dark air", "left in a cave", "leather skin", scuttling "scarabs" (which probably was the main trigger, but then going back over it, picked upon the others).

As Duke said, "a fine cascade of memorable verses"

TqB