He was only 54
and the coolest man I ever met.
Sat at the bar with his
Marlboro cigarettes.
Fascinated by mystery--
UFO's and bigfoot--
tapping his smokes
in an ashtray of soot.
He became my father in law
and I taught him guitar,
he practiced a bit
but he didn't get far...
The tumor stopped him.
The twinkle in his eye
lingered for a while,
and when the pain let up
he would manage a smile.
But he withered in bed
like a slow drying lake
paying in agony
for a lifetime mistake.
Popping morphine like candy
just to lie still
and stare at the world
through his windowsill.
The tumor sent armies
to liver and lung,
inability to drink
swelled up his tongue,
and he languished for months--
awaiting the birth
of my daughter--
to see her he clung to this Earth.
But he couldn't hold on
as his flesh died away;
he became a living skeleton--
unable to decay.
Sometime in mid-August
his soul went astray--
two weeks before
his grand-daughter's birth day.
I wish she could know him,
I know he would laugh
at her dramatic antics
and snap photographs.
She only knows a picture
that sits on a table;
but her grandpa would hug her
If only he were able.
Author notes
9. Do you think if a person is dying of a disease and in pain, do they have the right to die?
A contest entry
- 115th Contest by Tarja.
450 points, ended December 22, 2007, 11 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Prewrites mania!! by Xx Luna xX.
550 points, ended January 7, 2008, 26 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
It's not that it kills you, it's HOW it kills you...
Comments
1 - 5 of 5
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I like it!
"The tumor sent armies
to liver and lung,
inability to drink
swelled up his tongue,
and he languished for months--
awaiting the birth
of my daughter--
to see her he clung to this Earth.
But he couldn't hold on
as his flesh died away;
he became a living skeleton--
unable to decay."
Wow...
I don't know what to say, this is great. I like it! Thank you for entering and good luck
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Vic...what a nice tribute to a special man I am sure that meant a lot to you. Very fitting and you remembered him in such a moving way. THANKS for writing.
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I said very specifically I did not want poetry... so thanks but no thanks for this. I appreciate the effort. Merry Christmas.
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Better than Prose
Uh..this is allpoetry.com...
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Depressing
He smoked while he talked and made you feel like you were engaged in something rare and special. Guess what? You were.
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