for Duncan
If fate, or one of them, Moirai:
the one with the scissors,
has to cut this thread,
I hope she doesn’t laugh
while she does it, my manner of death
more interesting than the way
I choose to live:
Like the man in Athens
smothered to death
under too many gifts,
or the emperor who poisoned himself,
swallowing mercury to taste eternal life.
Maybe his spirit still wheels,
mad and confused in the ether
over China;
or the poet’s death of Li Po,
who tried to kiss the moon’s reflection
in water, and instead
fell from the boat
and drowned.
I’ll not behead enemies
and leave their teeth near enough
to bite my leg, leading to fatal fevers,
or shit my intestines out, poisoned,
as I walk across the forum. No, those deaths
are for heroes and politicians, and I am neither.
With my appetite for joy
I am more likely to drown
in a barrel of wine
or surfing a wave of molasses,
dragged into the undertow
of a riptide of beer;
or perhaps reeled pulseless,
a victim
of a dancing plague.
Susan Daniels Poetry 
I think you may have been reading too much Trent Lewin
hahaha–nah, don’t blame Trent–we are kindred insane spirits.
I don’t remember apportioning blame. It was a simple observation, that’s all.
😀
😉 It’s all good, Duncan…
I know. I put a big grinny emoticon on the comment, but they don’t always work on the steampowered version of WordPress that I use. Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
But I’m too tight to pay for an upgrade.
😉
haaa too much Trent.. is there such a thing?
You’d better ask him. He seems to have views on most topics, so i’m sure he has one on this…
Never!
agreed!
I really like the way this one rolls off the tongue if you read it aloud. Very nicely done!
John, thank you! Had fun with this one!
Cool. I like it. rather, BillyCollins-esque. 🙂
Thank you!
I love this poetic list of death and smiled as I appreciated every turn and twist. I think I would like to die like Li Po, trying to kiss the moon — or of a dancing plague. Beautifully done.
Beth, thank you! Had fun with this!
Seems like a good way to go.. 😛
Doesn’t it?
Totally! 😉
I wanna go
like ‘ol Li Po,
although I guess
that barrel’s best! 😉
Oh, when I read that about Li Po, I thought that would be the way to go, myself 😉
heh-heh … what a way to go! 😀
Hee, hee. What fun!
smiles…dying while trying to kiss the moon doesn’t sound like a bad way to go..smiles
Yes–that drew me in, almost like poor Li Po.
the dancing plague…well if you got to go…ha…i rather like your reckless joy ways of dying…and i really hope i dont die of the shits…that is all i am saying…smiles.
hahaha–understood. What a publicly humiliating way to go, the shits. The wave of beer or the barrel of wine might have more appeal, or the dancing…
Have you read the 100 year old man who climbed out of a window and disappeared? Reminded me a lot of Allan Karlsonn the main character hahaa well captured, and …ouch
Shan, no, I have not, but it sounds like a great thing to read, and I should.
I don’t know, Susan. It seems to me you just get better and better with each poem. I didn’t know that about Li Po. If I were to choreograph my death, something a bit exotic seems like it would fit a poet’s demise.
Victoria, you are too kind! That story was so… No other word fits here but evocative, so I’ll use that one 😉
A cool write.
Ayala, thank you!
Strange, surprising, difficult to understand, yet with an intriguing logic about it that I enjoyed.
Thanks, Viv. Yes–that was exactly what made me want to write this–Duncan’s story about the RV bed falling (almost) on him while he was driving was too good to ignore the nudge of my muse to do a little digging.
Reading the list of ways to die, it reminded me of reasons I want to live.
perfect! That’s what it did to me too.
Death by dancing plague…better to burn out that to fade away.. 😉 Pleasure is a much better companion than the grim face the regards one from a random distance.
Oh, I so agree!
Haa! Oh my goodness. Talk about a chicken with his head cut off … Funny and fierce, Susan, love it. 🙂
Adriene, thank you! I really enjoyed this morning’s history lesson 😉
Nice. Interesting all the way through with no lapses. Readable and enjoyable through each line. I like the change from the early observations of the strange deaths of others to personal preferences of demise of a more whimsical nature. Good stuff.
Eusebia, thank you!
I like that way of drowning in the wine ~ This reminds me of a song, the many ways to die ~
Aw, Grace, thank you!
Ha ha, drowning in wine sounds good. Smiles.
the last 9 lines are genius ! You’re the best!
Deb, thank you! Amazing what a trip down Wikipedia Lane will teach you…
Brilliant, and I the idea of a dancing plague is macabre amusement to me.
Thanks, Rowan! I was so drawn to that idea.
This is great. Love the nod to the past!
Aw, thanks, Honey…
Love the Li Po story — never heard that.
As I commented the d’Verse Post about Federico Garcia Lorca
where they told about facists shooting him:
“If I am to be shot, may I be RIDDLED with bullets too.”
But I hope, against hope,
to drown with you in that barrel of wine
or explode from just the right note
hit on my electric guitar
during an uproarious rehearsal.
Cool poem — thanx for letting me play, Susan!
Sabio, I LOVE your response, answering poetry with poetry is one of my most favorite things!
So glad it ’twas liked
no matter how spiked
Like that fine wine or beer
In which we’ll swim when death is near!
😉 yes!!!!!
I love this! Any poem that can place Li Po, surfing and beer rockets to the top of the charts in my book.
Cheers,
Mark Butkus
Aw, thank you, Mark!
Brave to take on one of the greatest taboo of our times, but done with such style and artistry that you’ll manage to convince most people that it isn’t really true that we will all die of something one day.
Tony, thank you. We should be able to approach this with humor, I think.
Brilliantly done, Susan 🙂
Thanks, C!