Death, The Great Control-Freak

Death, the great control freak comes,
To squelch the Self,
To silence effervescent laughter,
To pop the balloon of Living's random glee.
A date with him is always the same.
The dull monologue he calls conversation,
Is just another fear-breathed “sermon-you've-heard-before”—
On what not to taste,

What never to touch.
It can only be re-warmed so much,
Re-casseroled and served again.
But you don't have to eat it.
Death doesn't give better favors to the polite.

Death and Life both exert their forces upon us all.
The spirit of Death so boring, controlled, predictable.

But when Life comes,
Wanting to give you a hug,
Asking you to walk a mile with her—
Go two.
Forget about Death and let Life have her way.

Release your will and let yourself be rolled up in the abundant clover.
Allow the streaming bubbles to have their sway.
Opportunity to respond arises fresh, so unpredictable.
Ruts can be shattered.
Chains fall limp.
And even now,
The sand kicked up in our faces reminds,
We can abandon death and live.

-jenn long