The first line was inspired by Wallace Stevens' poem, 'The Worms At Heaven's Gate,' beginning 'Out of the tomb, we bring Badroulbadour.' Obsidian's name, hopefully, suggests an echo of the word 'obscene,' an accurate description of that 'lifestyle choice.'
The title and the setting of the poem were inspired by Edgar Allen Poe's poem, 'Ulalume'; and the subtitle by Poe's story, 'The Premature Burial.'
The eleventh line is an allusion to the Gospel of Mark 9:44.
