Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Today's Poem

As Death Approaches

by Susan Deborah King

I can't believe I'm laughing!
I'd have sworn I'd be
shaking or sniveling.
And I sure didn't expect
a limousine.
I've never been in a limousine.
No biggy.
I've had better than fame.
Who needs the pressure?
As for fortune, I'm filthy.
That's why I'm laughing.
I've had so much love:
the giving, the getting.
It's shameful.
It's embarrassing.
And it's too late.
No one can take it away!
And I've had the pain
to help me appreciate it.
Thank God for the pain!
Easy for me to say
now that I'm going!
But no, seriously,
the kicks in the teeth,
the gut, the rugs
pulled out, slammed doors,
setbacks, snubs.
Without them, I'd
never have recognized
Love, bedraggled,
plain eyes shining,
happy to see me.
Do I want more?
Of course I want more!
I always want more
of everything: money, hugs,
lovemaking, art, butter,
woods, flowers, the sea,
M&Ms, chips, tops, bottoms,
trips — I did give up drinking —
time, sure, and yes,
I'd like to see
my grandchildren,
if there are any.
I'd like to see my books
but more has never
been good for me anyway.
Enough — that's what I've
always needed to learn,
and is there a better way?
So this laughter
I had to work up to
through so many tears,
it just keeps coming
like a fountain, a spray.
Let it light on you
refreshment, benediction,
as I'm driven away.

5 comments:

Jan said...

Nice. Made me smile. Thanks.

Diane M. Roth said...

wow

Wormwood's Doxy said...

Writer's Almanac is the first e-mail I open every morning...

This morning, I read my son Shakespeare's 65th sonnet. At first, I think he thought I had lost my mind--but by the time I'd read it and we'd talked about it, he said "Pretty cool, Mom!" :-)

Kirstin said...

Ping, again!

pj said...

Nice! Kept expecting it to go all cheesy, and it didn't. Hard to pull off.