C.M. Rivers
There's No Shame in Making a Comfortable Deathbed
Sometimes I sit drinking tea at a green table
and look out over a green valley,
and think what a drag it is that there is no I.
because I can be so satisfying. Fun, even.
On the other hand, when the going gets tough,
I am ruled by my thankfulness that there is no I.
Eventually, an autopsy will show how I lived.
Nothing scandalous, or probably even note-worthy –
just a collection of moving parts
in the form of organic matter.
Parts that will become as green as this table,
then purple, then black
if not carefully removed, preserved
until they can be transferred
to someone else's container.
Bio
C.M. Rivers grew up reading books on rainy days near Portland, Oregon. The author of two books of poetry, his work has appeared in literary magazines and journals across the U.S.. Find more of his writing at cmrivers.com, or visit his poetry podcast "Why Am I Telling You This?".