Peace and Prosperity Obituaries

They’re disheartening. It’s ridiculous,
These long, drawn-out, attenuated lives
With their protracted extinctions. Ninety
Is more common than sixty. Dementia
Seems to be involved in most instances,
The piecemeal ablation of personhood,
Vivisection without anesthetic,

A vague awareness in a molted husk,
Waste product of life’s drive to make more life,
Tragedy without the dramatic fuss,
Meat grinder of peace and prosperity,
As efficient as war only slower,
So much slower—predator less lion,
More python—so slow it’s ridiculous.