Dark Corners

Please don’t channel your mother

She’s not wanted here

At her sister’s funeral

We didn’t like her

Dead or alive

Please don’t channel your mother

Her spirit taints all it touches

Brings us down

Clouds our eulogies

Shows us where we come up short

Please don’t channel your mother

She speaks truth

Says things we don’t want to hear

Her presence sheds light into our dark corners

Please don’t channel your mother

Don’t let her out

Tell her to stay quiet

We do not wish to abandon our lies

©kcasady2014

Hear Ye

Even I am relieved that the ordeal is over

That she finally died

The process so magnified that it spilled over everywhere

Young great grandchildren sang songs to her

Picnicking at her bedside

Adult grandchildren held vigil

Snuggling close

Freeing the even older adult children for a breather

All eulogized

Hear ye

Hear ye

We did all these things for her

Hear ye

Hear ye

She spent her last two weeks in a morphine induced coma

Freed from cancer pain

Perhaps freed from loving attention

My mother died in an ambulance with the attendant praying for her

She didn’t die alone

Jews are not supposed to die alone

My cousin said her newly dead mother had the best life of all her sisters

You might be right I say back

Your mother had all the trimmings

Adoring grandchildren and great grandchildren

A full life of estimable acts

My mother

A brilliant independent soul

Is buried alone 

Not near her husband or her parents

But serenely surrounded by other dead Jews

So she can kibitz without strings attached

Perfect I say to my cousin

Just perfect

©kcasady2014

White Hair

The departed spends her first night in her grave 

Tucked in by relatives and friends

Each tossing three shovelfuls of dirt upon her coffin

A gesture of pure kindness

One for which there can be no repayment 

While the white hairs stood and watched 

Too old to lift even the tiniest bits of soil

Imagining their dead compatriot listening from within her eternal cocoon 

Watching for her hovering soul

Waiting for it to fly free

All the while counting the moments till their turn

Wondering by whose hands their graves will be filled

©kcasady2024

Handout

The King of Persia arrives on time

The Queen of Sheba fashionably late

He saves the table in the shade

Her complexion susceptible to sun

The King wears beige Armani suits

The Queen prefers blue jeans and silver jewelry

He wishes she would be a bit less casual

She feels regal in anything she wears

They drink coffee

Preparing to receive their subjects

The King nods

The Queen sometimes speaks

The poor crazies know of his generosity

They approach for a handout

The Queen looks to the side

Disdain on her face

The King gives the expected doles

Waving the minions away with a flourish

Every day the Queen heaves a sigh of relief

Hands the newspaper to the King

Both sip their coffee

Occasionally looking up to survey their realm

©kcasady2014

Dung Beetle

Dear sir

Please tell me why you need a therapist

Perhaps too much

Too soon

There are the

Nuclear perks

Splendid

Sumptuous

Plentiful

Unforeseen and lovely

But alongside the

Inconvenient annoyances

Unwanted attention

Microscopic examination

Brooding over the impossible desire to accommodate

And the difficult decisions ahead

Stay or go

Fly to greater heights

Soar to extraordinary

Shedding veracity

Or remain unexpected

By means of unpredictable honesty

And idiosyncratic quirkiness

Hovering just above unusual

Well sir

God speed

May your journey be mindful

And your process abundant

Dotted with awkward rewards and startling revelations

May you dig like a dung beetle

Past your quivering exoskeleton

Laying fertile eggs in palpable tissue

Finally encircling truth

©kcasady2014

Black and Yellow

Dull day

Couch day

Headache day

Too much birthday day

Black day

Yellow day

Nauseating day

Needed a big rest day

Long day

Nap day

Surreal dream day

Eyes closed all day day

Looking at nothing day

Blank mind day

Glad of the quiet day

Sorry it is now night day

©kcasady2014

Happy Birthday

Happy birthday to me

My natal birthday

On this day

April 18

One of my mothers gave birth to me

One week later

My other mother picked me up

My birthday history begins there

A long time ago

This morning

I wanted to cry

Because

No birthday cake

It’s Passover

Friday breakfast buddies out of town

Bad timing

And I’ve gotten too old to sleep with gorgeous young men

Darn 

So I took myself out for a birthday walk with my hound

Had a pleasant birthday shower

Went to a birthday meeting of like-minded spiritual people

Enjoyed a birthday soy latte complements of Starbucks

My friend Nik presented me with birthday flowers

And the list goes on

No need to cry

The day given to me

Worked

Birthday dinner and theater

Alas still no birthday cake

But birthday Caesar salad

Birthday chicken piccata

Affogado for my birthday dessert

Book of Mormon for birthday entertainment 

Usually

I get to see my birthday

Once a day

At 4:18

If I remember to look

Today

My phone said

April 18

For twenty four hours

Nice

©kcasady2014