Dealing With Death

grooveamaticgrooveamatic Posts: 1,374
edited April 2006 in Poetry, Prose, Music & Art
I've never had to deal with death
per se
not anymore than your average person
who sees sunsets
whose tanks run out of gas
whose shoes fall apart
Sure
I've seen death like the rest of you
I watch T.V.
I even had 2 Grandfathers who died
although I never really knew
either of them
& I had a dog when I was little
she died too
they probably burned her body
& bits of her
are floating around my head
right now.

a friend of mine delivers flowers for a living
told me the other day
of a trip he took
to Egger's funeral home
(I had to give him directions,
I grew up a block from the place)
he took the flowers in
but there was nobody at the desk
& he glanced around
& there was a casket
right there
& it was open
he said she looked comfortable
(doesn't everybody say that?)
& she didn't look quite dead
he put the flowers on the desk
& walked out
nearly ran.
he was scared.

I went to a funeral some years ago
for a girl I worked with.
they say the wind just blew her SUV
right off the highway.
I barely knew her.
I got high with her in my car
one time
& I used to stare at her ass
as though I had seen it disappear one time
& suspected it would be happening again
aside from that she was a stranger to me.
there were people crying at the funeral
& they played an Enya song.
it was interesting.

in rehab I ran into this guy I had gone to high school with.
I was a drunk
& he was a junky
but we got along real well
got each other's jokes
understood the plight.
there were no excercise facilities
& he really wanted to get into shape
so on Free Time each day
he jogged the perimeter,
racking up a few miles each day.
after a week he fell in love with a girl from Pittsburgh
(she was a diet pill addict).
a week later they ran out the front door
past the protesting nurses
down the long driveway
& out of sight.
two days later we heard he died
of a pneumonia.
but you never really know
what kills a person like that.

when I was a teenager I came home
to my parent's house one night
to find the front door ajar.
inside, on the gray linoleum foyer floor
was an improbably large pile of vomit.
further inside
my father
in odd voice tone
informed me something was wrong with mom.
the ambulance came
& it was strange
& I waited at home with some friends
while dad went to the hospital with mom.
she had a heart attack.
her face was swelled and blue for awhile
& they had these things hooked up to her
& I was scared and confused.
I never knew heart attacks could make you vomit.
she's fine now, though,
& I rarely think about it.

the man whistling past me right now
could be dead soon;
the birds chirping in the tree beside me
surely will be.
.........................................................................
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • oldermanolderman Posts: 1,765
    this is awesome groove. i love the pace. it's an easy read but it's not an easy subject. well done.
    Down the street you can hear her scream youre a disgrace
    As she slams the door in his drunken face
    And now he stands outside
    And all the neighbours start to gossip and drool
    He cries oh, girl you must be mad,
    What happened to the sweet love you and me had?
    Against the door he leans and starts a scene,
    And his tears fall and burn the garden green
  • justamjustam Posts: 21,410
    I consistently like your stories! :)
    &&&&&&&&&&&&&&
  • DopeBeastieDopeBeastie Posts: 2,513
    i'm bumping this one


    nice, groove-a
  • dude, write a novel...i will buy it.(most generic comment ever.)

    You have a unique gift for story telling.
    I took a walk so I could curse my ass for being dumb!!!

    www.myspace.com/lastgeneration56
  • EvilToasterElfEvilToasterElf Posts: 1,119
    When you sir are on, you are on.

    This is the best piece I've read in quite a while on this forum.

    The stanza about rehab, I think, was my favorite
  • catefrancescatefrances Posts: 29,003
    nice work.
    hear my name
    take a good look
    this could be the day
    hold my hand
    lie beside me
    i just need to say
  • Good.

    I like how it twists and builds...strange but great structure.
    Teamwork. Rawk. Pwnage. Infinite Possibilities. YIELD. Hells yeah.
  • I liked it, groove. :) It's hard for me to say much more at the moment even though I want to.
    Forget your perfect offering, there is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in. - Leonard Cohen
  • AliAli Posts: 2,621
    I've never had to deal with death
    per se
    not anymore than your average person
    who sees sunsets
    whose tanks run out of gas
    whose shoes fall apart
    Sure
    I've seen death like the rest of you
    I watch T.V.
    I even had 2 Grandfathers who died
    although I never really knew
    either of them
    & I had a dog when I was little
    she died too
    they probably burned her body
    & bits of her
    are floating around my head
    right now.

    a friend of mine delivers flowers for a living
    told me the other day
    of a trip he took
    to Egger's funeral home
    (I had to give him directions,
    I grew up a block from the place)
    he took the flowers in
    but there was nobody at the desk
    & he glanced around
    & there was a casket
    right there
    & it was open
    he said she looked comfortable
    (doesn't everybody say that?)
    & she didn't look quite dead
    he put the flowers on the desk
    & walked out
    nearly ran.
    he was scared.

    I went to a funeral some years ago
    for a girl I worked with.
    they say the wind just blew her SUV
    right off the highway.
    I barely knew her.
    I got high with her in my car
    one time
    & I used to stare at her ass
    as though I had seen it disappear one time
    & suspected it would be happening again
    aside from that she was a stranger to me.
    there were people crying at the funeral
    & they played an Enya song.
    it was interesting.

    in rehab I ran into this guy I had gone to high school with.
    I was a drunk
    & he was a junky
    but we got along real well
    got each other's jokes
    understood the plight.
    there were no excercise facilities
    & he really wanted to get into shape
    so on Free Time each day
    he jogged the perimeter,
    racking up a few miles each day.
    after a week he fell in love with a girl from Pittsburgh
    (she was a diet pill addict).
    a week later they ran out the front door
    past the protesting nurses
    down the long driveway
    & out of sight.
    two days later we heard he died
    of a pneumonia.
    but you never really know
    what kills a person like that.

    when I was a teenager I came home
    to my parent's house one night
    to find the front door ajar.
    inside, on the gray linoleum foyer floor
    was an improbably large pile of vomit.
    further inside
    my father
    in odd voice tone
    informed me something was wrong with mom.
    the ambulance came
    & it was strange
    & I waited at home with some friends
    while dad went to the hospital with mom.
    she had a heart attack.
    her face was swelled and blue for awhile
    & they had these things hooked up to her
    & I was scared and confused.
    I never knew heart attacks could make you vomit.
    she's fine now, though,
    & I rarely think about it.

    the man whistling past me right now
    could be dead soon;
    the birds chirping in the tree beside me
    surely will be.
    Your honesty and bluntness are supreme,groovy.
    Hope ur 2.:)
    Quite sad.
    Wondering what the person who died from pneumonia was on....,
    I mean,i wish I could stop drinking my coffee and cigarettes,
    but even in the hospital,they use narcotics.

    I say, BITE ME!



    :D
    <32u
    A whisper and a thrill
    A whisper and a chill
    adv2005

    "Why do I bother?"
    The 11th Commandment.
    "Whatever"

    PETITION TO STOP THE BAN OF SMOKING IN BARS IN THE UNITED STATES....Anyone?
  • Gallant88Gallant88 Posts: 58
    I really like this story.. nice flow to it too. keep it up.
    September 22, 2005 - Halifax.. ahhh
    .
    ..
    ...
    ..
    .
  • twin1twin1 Posts: 902
    Sad, smooth, and serious all at the same time...made me think of when my grandfather died. He was so still and his skin was as cold as ice. This was a very good read.
    Our love must not be just words, but True Love, which shows itself in action,
    No one needs a smile more than someone who fails to give one,
    After you die...you know how to LIVE!
  • grooveamaticgrooveamatic Posts: 1,374
    wow....I had to be gone for awhile...never expected to find 11 responses to this! thanks for all the kind words everybody! I hope you're all having great lives! (and that I can meet some of you on leg one of the tour!)
    .........................................................................
  • Ms. HaikuMs. Haiku Washington DC Posts: 7,265
    Really good, and i was a little anxious reading it, I guess I didn't realize how scared I am of my own death.
    There is no such thing as leftover pizza. There is now pizza and later pizza. - anonymous
    The risk I took was calculated, but man, am I bad at math - The Mincing Mockingbird
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