Reading the obits
I keep a tally
Mostly they live
A long long time
One woman my age
Died at the hospice care center
A childhood friend died
Peacefully at home
I look for ratios
For patterns
A way to measure
Or predict
The woman’s voice is kind
But firm
On the cancer care app
She says I will get well
For the joy of living
But I thrive on the fear
Of dying.
4 thoughts on "Reading the obits"
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Those last two lines speak to me – I wish I didn’t “thrive on the fear of dying,” but I do. Love your poem!
…and we keep keeping on. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Wendy and Anna!
There is so much honesty and vulnerability in this poem. The last line really got to me.