I agree that it is about someone who has been suffering from some illness for some time, sung from the point of view of a someone that is close to them.
"Your heartbeat is pulsing at night in your chest
It's gold and it's glowing with all the life you have left"
The person is still alive, and is at peace with the life they have lived. The "gold and glowing" of their heart may indicate they have let go of any bitterness they had towards their illness, and the hardships they've faced in life, and is just remembering the good. And/or they have been a good, noble person throughout their life.
"I received your words from hospitals
Where you felt alone
Your words like smoke, they made me sick
But they kept me warm"
The person has kept their friend (or whoever point of view the song is from) in the loop, as they have dealt with their illness. It may have been upsetting news, but they knew their friend was still alive which is what kept them "warm."
"Run where you'll be safe
Through the garden gates
To the shelter of magnolias"
The POV of the singer is telling their friend it's all okay, and they want them to know they are okay with them letting go.
"Eyes like sea glass, so weathered and worn
From all they've seen of adolescence torn"
The person who is suffering has seen/been through a lot since their teenage years. Maybe from the illness or other things that happened during those years.
"The lovers who have tainted you
They pulled you into the night
They touched your skin with velvet gloves
And made you feel alive"
They may have turned to "lovers" to make them forget about their illness, and to let them feel like they are normal. Probably during their teenage/young adult years. However, there was no "true love" found, and that is why they were tainted by the lovers and now "alone" as referenced earlier in the song.
"There's not much time
The blush in the sky begins to fade"
The person may not have much time left to live and/or they may not have much time to tell others of what they are going through before their relationships are ruined forever.
"You were weathered and worn
Your petals soft and torn
The fading color
You have bent your shoulders
To hold the weight of the world
You will surely shatter"
The person who is sick has tried to keep their sickness hidden from the majority of people they know, and has affected a lot of their relationships (why they're "alone," why they've had tainted lovers, etc). They've pushed people away rather than let them in and let them know they are suffering, but it has made things even harder to deal with.
"Run where you'll be safe
Through the garden gates
To the shelter of magnolias
There's not much time
The blush in the sky begins to fade"
It soon will be the end. Make peace with it all, and it will be alright.
So overall, I think it's a song about the acceptance of death.
I agree that it is about someone who has been suffering from some illness for some time, sung from the point of view of a someone that is close to them.
"Your heartbeat is pulsing at night in your chest It's gold and it's glowing with all the life you have left" The person is still alive, and is at peace with the life they have lived. The "gold and glowing" of their heart may indicate they have let go of any bitterness they had towards their illness, and the hardships they've faced in life, and is just remembering the good. And/or they have been a good, noble person throughout their life.
"I received your words from hospitals Where you felt alone Your words like smoke, they made me sick But they kept me warm" The person has kept their friend (or whoever point of view the song is from) in the loop, as they have dealt with their illness. It may have been upsetting news, but they knew their friend was still alive which is what kept them "warm."
"Run where you'll be safe Through the garden gates To the shelter of magnolias" The POV of the singer is telling their friend it's all okay, and they want them to know they are okay with them letting go.
"Eyes like sea glass, so weathered and worn From all they've seen of adolescence torn" The person who is suffering has seen/been through a lot since their teenage years. Maybe from the illness or other things that happened during those years.
"The lovers who have tainted you They pulled you into the night They touched your skin with velvet gloves And made you feel alive" They may have turned to "lovers" to make them forget about their illness, and to let them feel like they are normal. Probably during their teenage/young adult years. However, there was no "true love" found, and that is why they were tainted by the lovers and now "alone" as referenced earlier in the song.
"There's not much time The blush in the sky begins to fade" The person may not have much time left to live and/or they may not have much time to tell others of what they are going through before their relationships are ruined forever.
"You were weathered and worn Your petals soft and torn The fading color You have bent your shoulders To hold the weight of the world You will surely shatter" The person who is sick has tried to keep their sickness hidden from the majority of people they know, and has affected a lot of their relationships (why they're "alone," why they've had tainted lovers, etc). They've pushed people away rather than let them in and let them know they are suffering, but it has made things even harder to deal with.
"Run where you'll be safe Through the garden gates To the shelter of magnolias There's not much time The blush in the sky begins to fade" It soon will be the end. Make peace with it all, and it will be alright.
So overall, I think it's a song about the acceptance of death.