When I am gone… Several people will gather. Lovely words will be said about me…I may not even recognize myself as this paragon of virtue. There will be a few genuine tears, I would like to think. But will all the mental words be as affectionate,as charitable, as full of praise? There may be a few less than loving thoughts..that’s only too likely. But the definite fact is that After the initial gathering and the talking and the discussing The waters will close over the fact of my departure And the world will get on, as if I never was. And what I was, will exist only in what I have created… Words,images,friendships,relationships… And soon, all of that will pass into oblivion, too. I know all this, and yet here I am, Making a noise as if this noise has any meaning!

No,no, I am not feeling morbid, in fact, I am smiling as I write this!