wake

I slept like a thief in the night
on his night off
slept like a ghost who's done
everything
that was left undone
that was keeping him up
in the house where life

has passed on from him

I slept like a man
for whom conscience is king
and whose king is dead
and now mourning has come
and gone, this wake
is clear-eyed and alert
not a drop of scotch
and nobody gets hurt

'til this one last thing

sure. It has to be done,
and I've steeled myself
during dreamless nights
for these past, sound weeks
I am undisturbed. It's
disturbing, how easy

I find the words