In His Image

The hare-lipped                                       The stillborn

The club-footed                                       The myopically near-sighted

The walleyed                                           The retarded

Those with heart murmurs                      Those with Spina Bifida

The juvenile diabetic                               The hereditarily obese

Those born addicted                                Those without limbs

The dwarfed                                             The congenitally angry

The truly ugly                                          The stone deaf

The scarred                                              The pink-eyed albino

The hermaphrodite                                  The cross-eyed

The miscarried                                        The breech birthed

Those with Down’s Syndrome               Those strangled by their cords

The very mute                                         The dead twin

The Idiot Savant                                     The unwanted

The sterile                                               The illegitimate

Those with dead mothers                        Those with infantile paralysis

The bleeders                                            The fetally undernourished

Those expelled by a kick to the groin     Those larger than the birth canal

Those with cleft palates                          Those full of lead and mercury

The heart murmurers                              The aborted

Those born of rape                                  Those without immune systems

The unresponsive                                    The fish-fingered

The mutant doomed                                The lactose intolerant

The autistic                                             The oxygen starved

The pre-natally infected                          The hopelessly premature

Those born to children                            Those born to prisoners

The very frail                                           The infant cancer victims

Those quickly perishing from unknown causes     Those born without fathers

The unknowingly blind                           The chronically normal

Just A Small Turtle

From "The Lives of the Reptilian Saints"

I saw a small box turtle

          next to the roadway,

emerging from the bushes

           he stuck out his neck

And the commuter traffic roared by

           not slowing down a bit

Just a small turtle, all alone on his way,

          why must he cross? What does he seek?

As humans fly by, encased in their cars, as he in his shell

          millions of years of survival never trained him for this

He ducks in his head at the massive vibration of a semi

          Its wheels rumble close and a dark shadow blasts overhead

Without a movement he feels hidden upon the yellow centerline

          Then cautiously extends just the tip of his nose

Women pass by too closely, oblivious on their cellphones

          Brave men in pickups consider swerving over top this little thing

Many minutes pass until he reaches the very crown of the highway

          Just a small turtle with a very short life, and certainly no soul

I barely recognize him as I pass by lost in my AM fog

          But somewhere inside me his small struggle evokes a long-lost pathos

I keep on driving but my thoughts focus and remain

          I slow down and turn round to return and help him cross

My thoughts are lifted, for once, on the way to some lackluster work

          Perhaps one small deed can really begin a larger change

Only a moment too late do I return to the scene

          For though not yet dried, he has re-entered the eternal void

Just one very small turtle crossing our busy highway

          Just one more small accident on the road to my personal perdition.

Not So Far From Here

    The December 2004 earthquake released about enough energy to power the United States for six months

Not so far from here a vast destruction rules

          Not so far from here women weep inconsolably

Not too far away parents mourn for their lost children

          Not too far away a little girl sobs for her mother

Far too close the towns are shattered

          Far too close there is mud and dirty water everywhere

Almost here is the overwhelming smell of decaying flesh

          Almost here the artifacts of daily life are strewn about in confusion

Much too near half-naked people wear everything they own

          Much too near the sounds of wailing fill the air

Within our own villages there is no clean water

          Within our own villages we have nothing at all to eat

Not so far from here the cars and buses are scattered and jumbled

          Not so far from here life’s possessions lie broken everywhere

Not too far away the sea has left corpses a mile from its shore

          Not too far away unrecognizable bodies wash up upon the beach

Far too close the injured linger without treatment or even a bit of shade

          Far too close the sun beats upon discolored flesh and broken glass

Almost here a foot protrudes from the shade of a collapsed structure

          Almost here the fishing boats perch upon the ruined houses

Much too near the people are still muddy long days after the great flood

          Much too near the death toll still rises every hour

Within our own villages bulldozers perform burial ceremonies

          Within our own villages relief workers toil without sleeping

Not so far from here salty tears stream down upon their muddy cheeks

          Not so far from here malarial mosquitoes emerge from the flood

Not too far away a glance reveals artifacts from one more destroyed family life

          Not too far away shouts of the living mix with the silence of the dead

Far too close rotting bodies poison drinking water

          Far too close dysentery and cholera shadow dazed survivors

Almost here entire cities must rebuild themselves from beneath total rubble

          Almost here many millions simply have no homes at all

Much too near a man with nothing places one flower upon a single grave

          Much too near the memory of the black water stirs up fear again

Within our villages the living simply have no lives left to resume

          Within our villages the shock numbs people into a mute disbelief

Not so far from here those who fled find nothing to return to

          Not so far from here are too many in need to be helped in time

Not too far away in the heat the flies begin to swarm

          Not too far away roads are bulldozed clear of once-valuable debris

Far too close the hometown landscape has been warped into powerful desolation

          Far too close children have no schools and parents have no jobs

Almost here the aged sit on the streets under plastic tarps

          Almost here wounds fester untreated for everyone to see

Much too near the dead arrive upon the incoming tide along with more plastic debris

          Much too near the bloated bodies decay into anonymity

Within our villages there is no running water or electricity

          Within our villages the great tide filled the land with sewage

Not so far from here there has been no food for many days

          Not so far from here the weaker begin to perish once again

Not too far away the colors of destroyed lives are all of a muddy brown

          Not too far away desperate hands reach out in supplication

Far too close unpaid volunteers work tirelessly for days on end

          Far too close many good spirits have been overwhelmed

Almost here pockets of faith and trust survive

          Almost here video captures this great collage of human suffering

Much too near the once fertile soil is now laced with toxic salts

          Much too near the faithful wonder at the will and mercy of their god

Within our villages orphans cling to each other for support

          Within our villages heroes honor the dead with their service to the living

Unexpectedly Into Forever

It comes early on a Saturday, out of school and without a care

          Leaving only thousands of glass shards that sparkle in the air

In a darkened room mercifully at last the long struggle finally ceases

          Leaving behind nothing but the small comfort of the ritual cleaning

After a brief and overwhelming chest pain he codes within an hour

          never had the first sign or symptom to even slow him down

Reaching for her coffee while talking on the phone she drifts to the right

          Taking out a rider who is smeared to the pavement underneath his bike

Slowly the minister backs from his driveway rehearsing his Sunday sermon

          A terrible bump and his trusting little girl is pinned beneath the wheel

A friend slides off a rainy mountain road, rolling again and again

          Those left behind are forced to ponder who stays and who must leave

A small tree planted and cared for does not awaken in the spring

          A  small part of the caretaker is consumed by his own futility

A simple misstep results in a long period lying alone and helpless

          Just as the life force slowly leaves an insect kicking on its back

Working to restore power for thousands of impatient customers

          A sudden massive jolt scrambles his life processes, all at once

Unable to sit and too weak to cough, barely able to whisper

          Fluid fills her lungs and she drowns in a bed up there on the 25th floor

Unwilling to continue coping after long & drawn out years of depression

          Sudden inspiration is followed with a quick shot to the temple

Sparking the grill loaded with unburned natural gas

          Intense explosion scatters consciousness in a fine aerosol mist

Finding a loaded weapon in the drawer next to daddy’s bed

          A smiling brother’s head is blown open, smothering the echo of his laugh

Taking a relaxing swim at a beautiful beach on a dream vacation

          The undertow silently claims another panicked victim

Working hard to save money and make a better home for his family

          The ladder slips and father falls leaving them all on their own

An improvised explosive rigged as a roadside truck bomb

          Sends bagged parts of a son home with honor in a neatly-draped coffin

Another overcrowded ferry capsizes miles out in that dark and stormy channel

          Hundreds quickly drown but others manage to struggle on for hours

Twister rakes a mobile home in which poverty’s occupants desperately hide

          Opened like a can of sardines it paws away at those inside

Oversized but lacking conscience and ignorant of moral authority

          One home boy shoots another and earns a better education in a prison

Five young graduates ride fast on country roads well after 0’DarkThirty

          And with great laughter they leave the road and suddenly end their lives together

Tiny apartment dweller is fascinated by mommy’s smoking paraphernalia

          The shiny lighter brings bright flames, smoke and fumes to where he hides

Massive sixteen wheeler crosses into the other lane as the driver falls asleep

          A coincidental family trip is ended at a randomly solid bridge abutment

Somewhere in the Andes creeping up a narrow road, an old bus blows a tire

          Forty people roll and roll into a colorfully indistinguishable blend

In the hectic traffic of a crowded southeast asian city, someone takes a chance

          And yet another cyclist spills out his brains upon that wet, warm pavement

Mother deer leads her fawn across the road for the very first time

          Speeding armored family SUV takes her out and drives on, just a bit shaken up

High on drugs and life, young men take to playfully climbing on the rocks

          Just a slight slip and that quick fall ends one life, a quick hundred feet after

One more uncontrollable burst of red-faced anger starts another day

          A sudden brain blood clot leaves behind nothing but a mute and crooked face

Loyal retriever grown too old, stands next to master’s hunting rifle once again

          Knowledge of the discharge ends when that bullet exits from his head

The miracle of a butterfly flutters through the sunlight on its appointed trajectory

          In a fraction of a second mounted inside out on the grille of my speeding vehicle

Take Them As They Lived

Take them as they doze off from another heavy meal, flat upon their couches

Remove them when their attention wanders as they sip and talk and drive

Wipe them away as they celebrate outsourcing and downsizing bonuses

Kill them just before they fondle yet another frightened child

Take them as they cast their wrappers, butts and cans upon the ground

Grant them eternal rest as they approve yet more funds for their tools of war

Stop their hands as they sign the papers that doom another marshy habitat

Stop their hearts as they stuff themselves after another phony business triumph

Take them as they thoughtlessly order the latest trendy seafood being harvested to extinction

Lay them down as they pray for unquestionable guidance on business and political decisions

Strike them as they casually fill their inefficient vehicles with more wasted non-renewable fuel

Rein them in all the way when they grow childishly drunk and roar and fight

Take them as they leave the churches gorged and belching a thick righteousness

Close their eyes as a batch of Meth explodes in their haggard, toothless faces

Quiet their voices as they preach holy violence against other equally insane religious zealots

Still the breath they would use to whine over regulation’s awful costs in jobs and money

Take them on their cell phones, their iPods, their xBoxes and their phones

Relieve them as they lay frightened and alone in the sterile pediatric units

Lift their burdens quickly when they reach that terminal stage

Silence them as they spew forth hatred, teach intolerance and spread fear

Take them as they dream of impossible better lives in the filthy hovels of unplanned cities

Hustle them away after they brazenly kill and then cowardly plead their innocence

Grant them peace when their very teeth, bones and eyes are simply worn out

Relieve those filled with anxiety, stress and aggression of their selfish cares

Take them in their golf carts, ATVs, dirt bikes, jet skis, RVs and snowmobiles

Help them to help themselves to escape the pending charges they are too ashamed to face

Cast the outsourcers aside as casually as they have cast off others for so many years

Deliver the women suffering lives of institutionalized tyranny and abuse

Remove the willfully obese with diabetes, stroke, coronaries and emphysema

Strike down these so-called leaders who say they simply give us what we want

Lead away in quiet peace those who have lost the partner of their lifetime

Grant mercy to a soldier who remains somewhat conscious in the wreckage

Take that faithful old dog by surprise when he can no longer gain his feet

Halt her vapid and indolent consumption with a marketer’s dream of heaven

Reap them as soon as they stop to enjoy the benefits of a lifetime of work

Find them alone in lonely beds in the middle of another long and empty night

Take them away when their over-extended mortgages exceed the value of their homes

Surprise them with the bright flash of their own improvised explosives

Fill them with the grace of innocence if they are born unable to survive

Bring them compassion too late and let them waste away on their shame

Take the doctors on their sleek yachts and the lawyers in fine restaurants

Let the duped but faithful at least pass on with smiles upon their faces

Show the true emptiness to those who head corporate religious franchises

Help the honest seeker see a beckoning light towards the end of his path

Take them suddenly at their offices still buried in pointless minutiae

Overcome all their objections and dole out their final sales commissions

Free them as they lock the poor more tightly into multi-generational despair

Steady their greedy hands that they succeed in their blind self-destruction

Take the brokers at their watering holes and the politicians at their spending troughs

Carry off the bipolar in an unaccustomed state of mild equanimity

Stop the workaholic in the middle of many unfinished and meaningless tasks

Simply grant the domestic animals a peaceful oblivion as they are led to the slaughter

Take them filled with craving for the latest fad gadget they wish to finance

Lead them gently off when they mutter insensibly and cannot recognize a spouse

Guide our hands to relieve those languishing in persistent vegetative states

Collaterally damage the generals in presumed safety with a friendly, yet deadly crossfire

Take the burglars outside our doors and let the sun shine upon their dead faces

Let the spinster hear the con man gurgle himself a last rite over her phone

Stop their hands just as they are grasping yet another hefty bailout bonus

Take away far too many fellow species but provide us with comforting rationalizations

Last One Liners

Passed away over coffee on vacation down in Flarida

Were killed when the vehicle in which they were riding

Expired at home surrounded by friends and family

Died later upon the operating table

Resuscitation efforts failed after the rescue

Drowned in bed from lung congestion

Found cool and stiff on the couch next morning

Probably never felt a thing

Succumbed to extensive multi-system trauma

Passed away quite suddenly without any prior history

Died at home after suffering long from the illness

Expired on the pavement from excessive blood loss

Mostly women and children killed in a crush at the famous mosque

Was ejected from the vehicle involved in a rollover

Went into shock and never regained consciousness

Choked to death on a food obstruction following a drunken laugh

Sudden onset while doing yard work, earlier this Spring

Inhaled his own vomit which stopped effective breathing

Darted out in front of a slowly passing car

Taken ill at a family gathering

Hemorrhaged rapidly from a burst aneurysm

Expired alone of unknown causes

Passed away at Good Faith Hospice

Pronounced dead below the embankment

Suffered a coronary during a morning swim

Dozed off and struck a large oak tree

Died from a previously undiagnosed allergy

Ruled an accidental overdose

Became the latest victim of the outbreak

pronounced dead by officials at the scene

expired later from several gunshot wounds

perished in her crib from unknown causes

collapsed and never said another word

struck by a vehicle turning in front of his motorcycle

investigators said alcohol may have been involved

stabbed repeatedly at a holiday gathering

beaten to death outside a liquor store

shot in an apparent robbery attempt

killed in a dispute over a drug deal gone bad

failed to negotiate the curve

names were not released pending notification of kin

conveyed to police Sunday at approximately 3:00 AM

reportedly the victim struck his head

listed officially as Dead Upon Arrival

honored an Advance Directive to withhold any treatment

recovered his body at a depth of approximately ten feet

forced to euthanize the victim’s over-protective dog

driver of the semi was cited for improper equipment

confirmed the killing of the US diplomat

showed signs of an extra-judicial execution

autopsy confirmed she died of strangulation

opened fire at a checkpoint and killed at least sixteen

suspected suicide bomb exploded outside the luxury hotel

One villager was killed and 10 others wounded by grenades

savaged her in a cheap blanket after she was strangled

both murder suspects were wounded and later captured

found unconscious in the apartment and later charged in her death

cause was believed to be a massive heart attack

have been publicly hanged where the bombings took place

suffered from high blood pressure, diabetes and chronic emphysema

cause of death not listed, pending a coroner’s report

following unrest six weeks ago

showed grainy images of the beheading

slaughtered thousands when the disease was confirmed

began again with acute chest pain triggered by chronic stress

died when a hospital lacked the supplies to treat him

Homage To My Dying Fish

You struggled quite hard against the sharp hook I planted in your jaw

They told me as a child that you could feel no pain

I pulled you so quickly from your watery green home

A protective gel coating still covered your scales

Your colors were marvelous and your eyes were very clear

Your fat little belly was full of tiny eggs

I pulled out the barbed steel while squeezing you too tightly

I saw the healthy red blood in the stripes of your gills

You lay gasping and freezing in a bucket on the ice

Trying to swim though you lay on your side in the air

Some hours later we trudged home together in the cold

You lay packed sideways with two dozen of your mates

I left you outside that you should remain cold and fresh

Your gel coats released with your contact and mixed into slime

Your mouth moved slowly with rhythms from a geologic past

Your fins extended sharply to ward off my grasp

I heard your fellows randomly try to swim away from the bucket

I wondered at how long it took you to drown in the air

I brought you inside to an unaccustomed warmth and nasty dryness

I spread out a place for you upon some old newspapers

Your gills now remained open most of the time

Your beautiful round eyes had begun to turn dry and cloudy

Though I grasped you firmly, you squirmed nonetheless

I scaled you alive with a dull metal spoon

I sliced off your head from the top while pulling out your insides as well

Your tail flexed slowly with spasmodic muscular contractions

Your head then lay detached with your organs in a messy pile with the others

The pelvic fins cut away as well, which your head still tried to steer now and then

I washed you clean of blood and slime and removed a layer of skin with that spoon

I tickled the inside of your ribcage with a toothbrush as I scrubbed out your spine

I bathed you in beaten egg and dressed you in corn meal and flower

The frying pan was readied with oil not quite hot enough to smoke

Before you turned a crisp golden brown your tail flexed a last time, in the pan

I turned you once and then laid you out upon clean paper towels

We prepared fresh bread, tomatoes and scallions and cracked open more cold beers

But you, my finny friend, were the absolute star of the show

Forcing open your cavity your spine popped up and was removed

Carefully our forks probed for your remaining floating ribs

Your flaky white flesh was deemed wondrous by all

Your tail was quite crisp and crunched most satisfactorily

The raccoons, birds, catfish, turtles and insects helped recycle your remains

I tried not to waste you and I recognize your sacrifice with a place...here in my memory

Everyday Senseless Slaughter

As they are sitting quietly

Reading and relaxing in a friendly coffee shop

A man with an automatic weapon opens fire by the register

          killing a young couple heading out the door

         

Strolling through a produce market

          On a pleasant Sunday morning

A truck bomb explodes just up the block

          You note the blood that mixes in the gutter

with the ashy residue & water from the fire trucks

Enjoying the comfort of your cozy beach hotel room

          An explosion rips the air

Screams mix with the sounds of collapsing stairs

          A man walks by in a daze

So much blood streaming from his head

Children crowd around for candy from the friendly soldiers

          Suddenly a trucks pulls up and explodes right into their faces

Though it makes no sense to us, these martyr bombers are those that go to heaven

          Killing children who dare take sweets from the hated enemy

In the dark of night jets howl in and rockets streak the air

          Innocents within their paths are simply collateral destruction

Young men left alive but deafened do not share the scripted vision

          And rush to join the righteous folly of the deadly orgy

Smiling in a nightclub on a balmy night

dancing without a care while on a dream vacation

unexpectedly a tremendous explosion all around

          and uncounted screams pierce the smoke-filled air

snarled once again in the endless traffic

          between burned out vehicles and military checkpoints

the insurgent in a truck that stops unexpectedly up ahead

          becomes a blessed martyr as her body parts rain down

eating with your company, safe within your post

          the bomber’s body does not shield you

from its thick wrapping of nails and ball bearings

          propelled by the explosives strapped snugly to his tummy

teacher starts a lesson and the children pay attention

          freedom fighters enter, punctuating praise of god with explosions

teacher takes a bullet and screaming parents gather in the street

          troops storm the school and little children jump from windows

cleaning up the bloody carnage there comes an overwhelming shame

gathered together in an ancient shrine on a holy day

          fifty die and hundreds bleed when an infidel blows himself apart

wailing survivors scratch through the debris in search of their fallen

          and vow revenge for the loved ones lost in their defiled sanctuary

low-level micro-manager returns to the break room for more coffee

          dissatisfied ex-worker somehow  gains entrance to the building

shots ring out in carefully planned locations bringing on a pandemonium

          manager and former worker share bullets over their spilled coffee

loyal members of the gang must avenge the latest killing

          there is no room in the ride for the brother in the wheelchair

driving by, their shots ring out and citizens scatter

          a dirty homeless vet and a little schoolgirl lack the proper moves

mourning another loss at the too-familiar cemetery

          the howl of rockets descend both on the dead and the grieving

the black mourning clothes of a young woman soak up her blood so well

          old and young alike commence a gruesome, helpless wailing

she sits chatting in the auditorium, her assignment has been done

          sound of popping gunfire from somewhere close behind

she stands and looks around and takes a bullet in the head

          he was a quiet former student they said, but he’d gone off his meds

Faux-Golden Years

For now I am ready to retire and become that cute and cuddly grandpa

But my prostate has swelt up like an orange and I need that quintuple bypass

I wish to take my time now and to stop and smell those lovely roses

Yet I am 30 pounds overweight and my blood pressure is way too goddamn high

I look forward to the things I worked so much for all those long, hard years

But I have lost my hair and my back just plain hurts me every day and all the time

I plan to see all those places I have only dreamed of during all my work-filled life

However, I cannot walk, even quite slowly, without wheezing and turning red

I want to take some time to sort things out and make a bit of sense of it all

But my memory fails rapidly and I find simple explanations really are the best

I look forward to great adventures in the freedom of the open road

I poke along in my bloated RV between those safe, costly and sterile campgrounds

I finally get to spend some time with my family and my grandchildren

Turns out I don’t really care for them and they don’t have much time for me

I am excited to make new friends and live a rich and rewarding social life

I wear little diapers because I leak a bit after each of my 15 daily pees

I want to travel lightly, looking for excitement, like I did so long ago

I go nowhere without several pairs of glasses and all of my prescription meds

I collect my thoughts and refine my experiences into a unique vision of my own

I am viewed as a simple dodderer, quite inconsequential and totally irrelevant

I will finally spend some time communing with nature and learning of myself

Hopefully, my hearing aid does not feedback too loudly or have its battery go dead

I plan to hike to the many places I have noticed driving by, where people never go

My cardio and knees are simply gone and I tire quickly in the grocery store

I will hit the hot spots and go to all the famous beaches

Laws may have to be passed to keep my ugly body safely hidden from public view

I hope to gain a new perspective regarding our lives and our times

The world moves so fast around me I just want to keep out of its way

I will stand up for my rights with the others of my storied generation

I mean to attend those creepy Day of the Living Dead demonstrations

I can spend my time helping teach the children to know right from wrong

I am just another body to be looked after, according to their teachers

I try blending in, but my wrinkles and my thin white hair set me far apart

People blow right by me though I walk just as fast as I deem it sensible

I can easily fall asleep by friends and family with my mouth lolling open

If I have a good bowel movement I judge the day to have been a pretty good success

My thin and shiny skin has large dark blotches in among the spreading wrinkles

My yellow toenails get cut twice a year whether I can see them or not

I love getting out of doors and riding in a golf cart while smoking a cigar

I prefer eating dinner at 4 pm to avoid any indigestion when I try to sleep at 9

I talk to people I haven’t seen for years but they look at me quite strangely

Each new diagnosis yields a flood of flattering attention that brings meaning to my life

Dozing There Forever In A Single Blink Of Time

silver-haired blind man in a checkered flannel shirt strokes a purring calico tomcat

          both comfortable with that black wool blanket covering his lap

purring calico tomcat soothes the man's rough and work-hardened hands

          as he weighs the value of his long ago against the shortly sure to come

blind man feels the sun through the open window on his craggy face and smiles

          rumbling calico tomcat shifts and switches purring gears

they both enjoy the silence, the peace and tranquility

          they seem so safely anchored in this place and time

clouds but then just passing, stir the petals of a red tulip

          blind man emits a sigh, calico cat unruffled continues on his ride

god looks down upon the blind man staring within himself

          god strokes the purring tomcat just behind his ear

behold the ancient blind man with nothing left to fear

          quite content that calico tomcat lies, very still and very near

silver-haired with flaring nostrils, thickened ears and wrinkled skin

          no good no more for working, cannot bring home any pay

calico cat was born to leisure, sleeping twenty hours every day

          blind man can feel his spots with ease due to different temperatures

silver-haired blind man in a checkered shirt, wise old tomcat in his spotted coat

          dozing there forever in a single blink of time

no more howling at the moon, no more gnashing of the teeth

          silver-haired old blind man considers carefully his each and every move

with the cat upon his lap and the flowers in the garden

          blind man in a small room with a window, on a sunny autumn afternoon

                  

with the help of the cat and the ticking of a clock

          he traces out the warm sun's shadow as it moves across his tidy space

Always Here For You, Too

I began my work shortly after the first organisms somehow appeared

          They did not last long and I was here to take them back

I know not from where I spring but my function is to return life to the void

          I travel everywhere that life goes - all those places but nowhere else

Without any feeling I relieve you of your every understanding

          I am not offended if you should not accept me, even in the end

I make no deals and cast no bargains and steal closer every single moment

          I have neither voice nor mercy and lack any mind to understand you

I am not cruel or happy and I merely see you off to a place where I can never go

          You cannot imagine me, you will not remember me and I do not know you

I am neither harsh nor cruel, but you can make of me what you will

          I attend your murders, suicides, plagues and starvation - all just alike

You need not fear me any more than you feared your long forgotten birth

          Horrid suffering and evil torture are not even what I am about

But, as pain and anguish may arrive before me, many welcome me in my time

          Often it appears that I am early, but there cannot ever be a mistake

I come to join you forever more to wherever it was that you once emerged

          Behold, I come to honor only the living and not for stone or water

Though I offer no form of gospel, none will be ignored, faithful or not

          Many seek to look beyond me but that is none of my concern

I spend moments with all the bugs, the birds and the plants as well as you

          I witness the end of every detail of the life force in all of the universe

Whether you pass away in silken sheets or bleeding out in filth, it matters not

          I take you away from all this, ignorant of the promises of your faiths

I always travel with you, but linger not a moment when you are gone

          You pass empty again into that void from which all life has surged

I am but a form emerging from your imagination of that which is beyond you

          I am that passage which rejoins you once again with the inanimate

I do not revel in your mass slaughters, and each and every one still gets their moment

          Famine, plague and war summon me to many places, all at once

I am universal and have been unavoidable ever since the first living cell

          I have no face, but your imaginations have lent me many images

The very fact that I am always there goads many into fevered actions

          Regardless of the acts or players the final scene must be the same

I know nothing of the hopeless struggle in which you so joyfully partake

          But be sure that I, too, should love life, for without it, neither do I exist

I have spawned the faith which quiets your lonely desperation

          Truth be told, you need no faith to draw strength from my absolute certainty

I mark the entropy which must always counter the organization of the life force

          When I began and my ultimate future are questions I cannot ask        

All your gods demand belief that will ensure your spirit survives your body

          any post-mortem accounting of such faiths do not affect my actions

I am not alive and I have no soul or consciousness but I am only for the living

          They represent me with skulls but these are as simple stones to me

I can know nothing of your actions, history, families or your dearest beliefs

          There is no lingering on my part when once the life has left you

I am a shadow passing at the start of a dreamless sleep from which there is no awakening

          I cannot answer any questions and am unable to foster any illusions

I am here for you, be you rich or poor, ugly or handsome, young or very old

          I will not mock you and I know nothing of so-called good and evil

I walk always in your shadow until that moment in which we are briefly joined

          I promise you nothing except the absolute certainty of our meeting

Some beg for mercy but I have no way of listening or any kind of understanding

          I arrive at the very end of every lifetime and join it for but an instant

I know nothing of saviors, re-incarnation, souls or the great wheel of life

          I do not learn and, for me, time does not exist

I cannot retain any memories, just like you once were and will forever be

          Quantum chance always summons me because nothing is really scripted

Even though you witness me time and again, my mystery always remains

          You understand the biology but the metaphysics will forever remain beyond you