A Desperate Man
In 24 months, his
father died, his wife’s mother
died, his mother
died, his wife’s father died,
two of his cousins
died together in a small plane
crash on a weekend
fishing trip, and his wife
suddenly fell out
of remission and died of cancer,
lucid to the end;
but nothing ever dies, he said;
energy just
changes form. He couldn’t speak fast
enough, pouring
his life into every word; but
his voice betrayed
him. He believed in physics,
because his wife’s
close friend and family doctor,
with whom he was
having an affair, had a scientific
tradition to
uphold, and he fought back his tears.
Fear stalked him. Doubt
was more convincing
than his heart,
but he could not dispel his soulless
conviction and
listen to the voice within, “The
only death is the
death of ignorance.”
Composed
in Nipigon, Ontario
Date
unknown: 1990-2000
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