Squirm out of beginning over
Right up to it. Breathing’s starting.
Cells keep constantly dividing,
Even caught in the cul-de-sac
Of a beast past reproduction.
You’re all always starting over
Busily as you decompose.
Paraphrase Dorothy Parker—
Might as well compose. Why pity
Or imitate the lachrymose
When the body works urgently
To keep this squad going along,
Even at the cliff’s edge, even
At the windows of nursing homes?
Become your own Melville, your own
Story of absurd survival
As lost quests slip under the waves,
An old gentleman preceded
By a beard that was impressive
Even for those, more hirsute days.
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