Emily said Hope is the Thing with Feathers
But this bird has flown
I hate to disagree with her
for all she has known
for everything there is a season
and it's this bird's time to sing
and it don't have me
so it is free
from the perch within my soul

I want to go listening to
Rubber Soul
watching the tennis girls
sipping wine and
eating eggplant parmesan
A book by Ian
but I'm not sure when
so I will have to devote
all my time to this
there are worse things to do

Triscuits and hummus
with olives and wine
Miles and Coltrane
in four four time
salmon and salad
rosemary and thyme
Rohmer and Renoir
at Hollywood and Vine
Haruki Murakami
and Mark Twain
these are some of the  
favorite things of mine

Read my obituary in the Times today
was a bit of a shock, I'd say
but it was there for all to see
that I had died Tuesday, August 23
Time was short and I had to go
but there is so much more to know
I never get to see Japan,
at least not the way I planned
I guess I was just a dreamer
about the lovely Caterina
But these are not the best of times
I tell you that, friends of mine
I won't miss the guns and shots    
the religious zealots
the people on the streets
the inane tweets
I imagine it will all pass
and we shall all be Free at Last!
but that's for another life to live
My time has come and I forgive

At night I put
all my troubles
in a box
so that I may sleep
and relax
this is good
advice for all
but lately the box
has become too small

I'm thinking of euthanAsia
or maybe Canada
it's closer to home
but then again
when in Rome
so maybe I'll book
a trip to Nepal
and climb that mountain
once and for all!

I woke up this morning
and found I was dead
apparently I expired
last night in my bed
coffee seemed unlikely  
the butter the bread
figured I may as well
go back to bed