Now that I’ve reached
a certain age
I’m afraid
every ring of the phone
every knock on the door,
Might be telling me
someone ain’t on this earth
no more.
Dropped stone cold dead
while lying on the couch
watching reruns of NCIS.
Cops rummaging through,
the mess. Looking for clues,
of who did what and,
who knew who.
But a bit excited too
that maybe one of the kids
or the neighbor or
a stranger selling bibles,
Dropped by
just to say hi
and I end up
having an hour-long
talk
About how
my warranty has expired
or why I’m always
so tired anymore
Tag: death
Remember
Do you remember
playing out in the street
and a man came by
said he had something
sweet
and it’s yours
for free
if you come with me
Your friends ran away
leaving you there
with a smile on your face
and a ribbon in your hair
all they could do was stare
as you walked away
holding his hand
they never saw you again
Do you remember
that time down on Clary
when those two dudes
rolled up looking scary
with their nines at their side
when they stepped
out of that fine
looking ride
you said that’s
the life for me
the way it ought to be
not taking shit
from nobody
now your doing life
in the penitentiary
with a guy named Earl
Do you remember
that feeling
when you took
what he was dealing
and it left your senses
reeling
clear down to your
tingling toes
your fingers
twitching
your nose
itching
your mind numb
did you know
it was dumb
or was you too
high to care
as they
laid you on the slab
in the autopsy lab
the man said
what a pity
this girl was so pretty
but that was never
enough for you
~A Thump on the Head / No Regrets~
In times of impending demise, in your mind, you might see your life being replayed. Sometimes it’s in fast forward, sometimes in slow motion, sometimes both at once. Life flashes in random order, constantly cycling in and out like an out-of-control tilt-a-whirl at the county fair. You’d think that with all those moments stuck on a playback loop that one would walk away with perfect recall of all the events. Not true. You can remember things like the first time you pooped in your diaper and that piece of Bazooka Joe bubble gum you pocketed when you were ten years old. Every detail, no matter how small or insignificant will come flooding back. But what the heck just went down—draws a complete blank.
when death feels certain,
life flashes by in seconds—
don’t regret the show
~Flip or Flop~
if you see me sitting around
with my head tilted down
face wrinkled in a frown
hands shielding my face
just trying to figure out
if I can survive in this place
if I can finish this race
I know. I got it
change will come
and change will go
for better or worse
we won’t know
until we’ll either
suffer through hell
or find Heaven’s grace
if we’re to be celebrated
as conquering heroes
or banned in disgrace
the true story
will not be told
until those very last
words unfold
and in the end
they are rejected
or embraced
~She’s Been Here Before~
Once green and firm,
she danced,
on the boughs edge.
Whirling and dipping,
through the breezes,
of changing seasons.
She basked,
in hot summer suns.
Rejoicing in the adulation,
heaped upon her,
as she selfishly,
provided shade,
and shelter
to all who sought it.
Asking for nothing,
needing no one.
Autumn days,
stroked her ego,
into maturity.
transforming her,
into the envy of
artists and poets,
sages and prophets,
wise men and clerics.
But the chill of winter’s age,
dried and wrinkled her,
she fell,
dying.
Until all that remains,
of her once majestic existence,
is a final crumbling gasp,
under the heels of,
marching boots.
Jerry Brotherton 