One February Day

Written February 28, 1978

All there remains now
Is to turn my bones over
To the undertakers
From there all proceeds as normal.
In the olden days my corpse would
Rock and jostle in the wooden cart
Drawn by horses well used to
The cemetery path
The limousines drive this way now
We bounce over ruts
Swerve to avoid potholes
The mourners in the front of this hearse
Chatter loudly
Only the popcorn is missing.

Ah, I hear the sods falling
All motion has ceased
The priest intones the prayers
Handing these bones
To dust.

Over the cemetery
An evening winter sky
Spreads pale in pastel blues and pink
A fresh coat of snow has fallen
As if denying
Spring's coming.
The house lights are twinkling
On the far hillside
Slowly night will be falling
A deep silence settles among these
Tombstones of darkening granite.

Gone the mourners
The noisy limousines
I wait.
Down the tree-lined boulevard
Dripping with melting snow
Tinged with sunset
I see my Maker walking.