A Reality Check

This January nears its end
Marked by a spate of deaths; a trend
That seems to be on the increase;
Alas – we're not all on long lease.

Whether spouse of childhood friend
Or thespian colleague, I now spend
Much time alone in meditation ...
Death never comes by invitation.

Last week my uncle slipped away
Oz kith and kin in disarray;
How hard it is to come to terms
With loss, and how one's stomach churns...

The catchphrase «young in spirit!» sounds
So everyday; it does the rounds
And yet our date of birth belies
The age we feel – as each one tries

To carry on like Peter Pan,
Staying teenage is the plan!
So when we hear that friends have passed
We're brought up short – life ebbs too fast...

(c) Poet in the woods 2019