Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Buy-By-Bye




image from tuthdig.com


Buy-By-Bye

“Our echoes roll from soul to soul--and grow
forever and for ever.”--Alfred Lord Tennyson.

When young, death is but a shadow
--follow.
For some of us, death can come early
--barely.
My own mother was just thirty-nine
--pine.
My tiny nephew died of SIDS
--kids.
For me, funerals can be a drag
--hag.
Loved ones should just have a joyful wake
--cake.
No one gets out of life alive
--jive.
Mortality becomes middle-age crazy
--daisy.
They say fifty is the new forty
--sporty.
After retirement, time reaches hyper-speed
--indeed.
Your older body begins to break down
--clown.
Your own libido takes flight
--fright.
No one wants you to drive a car
--har-har.
Funeral homes send Christmas cards
--regards.
You become easily distracted
--subtracted.
You begin forgetting many things
--badda-bings.
When walking you seek more benches
--trenches.
You hope Death resembles Robert Redford
--Stepford.
Perhaps with death comes a doorway
--hooray.
You attempt to stifle your fear
--tear.
You try to muster your resolve
--evolve.
Always step gaily into the light
--good-night.


Glenn Buttkus

Echo Verse

Posted over at dVerse Poets Pub

10 comments:

Jade Li said...

Glenn, this one is a keeper. So sharp and wise. So sorry to hear your mom died so young. I know your dad wasn't in the picture then, so who did you stay with after mom died? I know what you mean about time racing after retirement! It's been about a year and a half now for me and time is a-flying, which is why I'm trying to un-retire at the moment.

Roslyn Ross said...

What a great take on the prompt.

Kim M. Russell said...

Nicely done, Glenn. You've revealed more of yourself in this poem and the picture is forming well.

Merril D. Smith said...

A wonderful echo poem, Glenn. Your thoughts and rhyme words and both poignant and funny. Was the Robert Redford reference to that wonderful Twilight Zone episode?

Dwight L. Roth said...

Oh, how quickly the effects of life and aging haunt us and echo in our minds! Well done Glenn!

Frank Hubeny said...

I like how you echoed with rhyme the last word in each line in the next and especially this couplet: "No one wants you to drive a car
--har-har.

Jane Swanson said...

Filled with great one liners - each one could be a prompt to another poem.

lynn__ said...

I like your take on the prompt,Glenn. I'll accept the kiss of Death if he's Robert Redford...Ha,Ha!!

brudberg said...

I really love the echo responding to each of your line here... really a lot of wisdom in its answers. The only thing we know is that the end will come one day...

purplepeninportland.com said...

This is truly haunting, Glenn. Great job on the echo aspect.