Commission: Poem
Prompt: Write about death.
The Welcoming Committee of One
When you see him, he approaches with
black licorice. Quiet, expectant. You
take one to avoid being rude. Satisfied,
he rumbles monotone, sincere congratulations
on your life. When he offers
a shadowy hand, you politely decline.
He shrugs and leafs through tombstones,
picking out your epitaph in this
suburban cemetery, like he’s looking for the
house number on your mailbox.
Before he makes for the door of your new
home, he opens his arms, and you decline
once more. Slow, but not defeated,
he bids you pax tibi and ghosts away,
the gentlest host for reluctant guests.
the gentlest host for reluctant guests.
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