At My Most Beautiful

Don't get me wrong, I adore R.E.M and this song is one of their greatest, but I think the lyrics appear to be addressing someone in a coma. "I read bad poetry Into your machine I save your messages Just to hear your voice." "Your machine" I think is a life support machine, and many people in a coma respond to stimuli, such as a voice of a loved one, a touch from someone's hand, or in this case bad poetry. It may be an attempt to rouse their brain to activity. "Save your messages" could mean the focaliser attempts to keep all she/he said close to them, stuff like recorded voicemails of letters. "I count your eyelashes secretly. With every one, whisper I love you. I let you sleep. I know you're closed eye watching me, Listening. I thought I saw a smile." While she/he is in a coma, the focaliser takes into account everything about them, such as their closed eyes, eyelashes, and wishes they could tell the patient one last time that they love them. Although they aren't responsive, the focaliser imagines the patient is watching them, and hearing what they are saying. "I thought a saw a smile" could refer to many of the reactions patients may have. Some people squeeze hands or smile while still in a coma, sometimes it means they are waking up, more often than not it's simply an unconscious reaction. "I've found a way A way to make you smile " This may mean although they know their loved one may never wake up, or respond to stimuli, if they smile then the focaliser takes joy in that small fact.