i made a conscious decision to be happy today. it is beautiful after two days of rain, surely this is a sign.

Memento Mori

you were barely fifty
a big man with
salt and pepper hair
thinning dangerously
no sight so incongruous
that April morning
(after the thud
the terrible shriek)
as you, collapsed
on the tiles as
your heart seized

suddenly

a great grasping
in the chest as
Death’s steely fingers
picked through
the ribs
closed around
the bloody organ
strangled
the final rhythm

suddenly

I approached unused
to the particular
shade of grey
that marks a corpse
my hands
on your stillness
pummeled the flesh
failed to force the life
back inside
my own heart
pierced right through
you were barely fifty
Father it all happened
so very

suddenly