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Monday 15 October 2012

The Quick and the Dead

Dead, I am teleported
out through time and space, courted
by the stars who make advances
with advanced displays of dances
choreographed in light.

Then looking down,
the dancing done: my funeral
in funereal glow
extinguishing the brilliance
of an hour or so ago.

But no, not so, I tell a lie -- 
not interment or cremation,
but creation's celebration at my wake.
The two collided somewhere --
down there...
I guess between 
the host and salmon sandwiches --
and on the way to somewhere else,
I do not doubt.They fused,
I'm told, 
in one great whiteout.
Completely blown off course.

It was my choice to come,
to see. I had to see, to know... have
always wondered, but...
it's exactly as I'd wished, but couldn't tell.
Every one is there. All present 
and correct, as ever were.
All together. No outpouring, no great stir.
The stars as individuals - as mourners,
if you please -- have begun to shine again.

seducing those I've left -- or trying to...
but even so...
everyone and everything 
as I remember them. 
And no great do
but just as they should be. 
So very right and proper --
so disappointing to the wayward likes of me.

13 comments:

Brian Miller said...

when my time comes i rather hope there is a celebration, bringing together all those still living...and i will make sure i invite the stars to do a little dancing...smiles.

Mary said...

I do like the idea that when one dies one is teleported out through time and space.

I also just thought of something for the first time. "Wake" -- a time when someone WAKES up to a new life. I never realized that until having read your poem. Duh.

Jenny Woolf said...

Oh, dear the idea of being disappointed when you are dead.... irrevocably sad.

Cait O'Connor said...

I like this Dave. It has a very positive feel to it.

Like Mary I did not think of waking up to life either.

Tommaso Gervasutti said...

terribly good poem about a terrible subject. A great metaphysical vein in Donne's tradition.

Ash said...

"So very right and proper --
so disappointing to the wayward likes of me"

Excellent one, Dave!

Cloudia said...

"just as they should be"
great word-play & meaning.



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kaykuala said...

We have done what we can to the best that we sought. Death closes the chapter to one beyond. Morbid but real Dave!

Hank

Sabio Lantz said...

I can't say I understand this poem -- though I wanted to. Sure, I get little snippets of images, but that is it.
I sent you a private e-mail explaining my blindness. Thanx

[not following - email pls]

Anonymous said...

Very interesting poem. To me the Crux is quick and dead. I think your character sounds quite "quick" even dead! I for one can't imagine what to imagine. K.

Dave King said...

Brian
I always thought you to be a man after my own heart!

Mary
Duh? I hadn't thought of it like that, either - but yes, I shall in future!

Jenny
Yes, a bit of a stumper that, I do agree...

Cait
That makes three of us, then!

Tommaso
I shall have to get back to a deeper study of Donne. Thanks for!

Ash
Thank yo. So glad you thought so.

Cloudia
Thanks Cloudia. Much appreciated.

Hank
Yes, I can go with that thought.

Sabio
Thanks Sabio. I'll check for your email.

manicddaily
That is the great stumbling block, isn't it? We none of us are sure what to imagine. We try to imagine what seems appropriate to us individually.

Anonymous said...

Hi Dave, I just don't know that I can even imagine much, but I just went through a death this year of my father dying at home. We were with his body for some hours. It is very hard to think of what is happening. That said, once you've digested it a bit, you come up with things--like your wonderful poem--and one does feel a sort of presence--but it's all beyond mystery for me at this point. K.

I don't mean to denigrate religion here! Such interesting questions.

Linda said...

Very interesting poem.