Pulled up Short - Again!

I would not wish to jolt your day
But another neighbour's passed away
That makes five in just one week
And pulls the rug out from my feet!

That life is fleeting is not news
It's hard sometimes to pick up clues
We cannot always understand
What's happening – much is unplanned.

When did we see our dear friends last?
How many months have now gone past ...
When we rang to say hello
Did we realise they were feeling low?

Death comes, alas, in many guises
At every age there are surprises
Illness, accident, neglect
Or suicide slips through life's net...

(c) Poet in the woods 2017