Deathly Musings

I happened upon death at the age of four

Lying flat on our lawn, a dead crow

My cousin said I’d be dead one day

That’s more than I wanted to know

Then I was eight and in the third grade

Mr. Perkins, our crossing guard, died

We stared at his corpse at the funeral home

Couldn’t rouse him as hard as we tried

I asked my father, “What happens when we die?”

He said that we don’t know for sure

Skipper explained you get eaten by worms

And then you turn into manure

Frankie said no, you fly up to Heaven

Dead relatives are waiting to greet you

That might be good, it might be bad

I had uncles and aunts who’d mistreat you

I don’t believe much in an afterlife

We’re like frogs, we just die and that’s that

My mother always hoped that we’d be together

Not just us but her dogs and her cat

I’m sure that death’s not like a party

And definitely not a trip to Cancun

It’s probably more like an empty black hole

Or an unending Philip Glass tune

Death does get more worrisome the older I get

Some days it seems right around the corner

My funeral is actually what bothers me most

So embarrassing if I don’t have a mourner

And it’s not even death by itself that’s so bad

It’s the dying that is the real bummer

Sometimes it’s quick and sometimes it’s slow

It’s best not to take the whole summer

Death’s a no-brainer for those who are dead

It’s more troubling for those left behind

Once in a while it’s a pleasant event

It depends upon one’s state of mind

In truth, there are quite a few perks to one’s death

You are done with the shots and the pills

No chance you’ll get stuck in a traffic jam

And Visa stops sending its bills

Much more could be said about death

Like pestilence or nuclear war

But I think I will look on the bright side

Make a list of life’s wonders galore