The presages of Doomsday strolled by me one morning…

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I saw the Four Horsemen
The famous apocalypse guys.
They rode silently past neatly folded laundry,

They approached me in silence
Their breathe a rye and meadow wind
Each of them in turn,

Gliding ghostlike past where I sat,
Watching steam on the mirror
Grow cold.

War had no use for me,
Past my prime, bum knee.
Not even as cannon fodder.

Famine had little to work with,
I had known hunger, want, poverty,
Nothing he had could scare me.

Pestilence likewise dismissed me out of turn,
For which I’ll be forever grateful,
Probably too sedentary to spread the touch.

And Death, well, we all must dance,
But today is not the day, now not the hour,
Death merely bid me good day.

And then they were gone, their vacancy tangible,
While I decided to look up embolisms or strokes,
Trying to close this doorway into myself.

Until I saw the tracks in the talcum powder,
Heard the soft whicker of horse,
And tasted their life on my tongue.

——-

Some other dreamy poems you may like:

Window To The West

In A Perfect World

If The World Was About To End

——-

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Comments (7)
  • ken bultman on Jan 5, 2010

    Quite a vision. We all finally contemplate our mortality. You did it with greater flair than most. Wonderful poem.

  • ashan1614 on Jan 5, 2010

    I think I’d panic should the Four Horsemen ever show up on my doorstep. But I suppose, as you say, msot of them would have no use for me. And Death? When it’s my time, I’ll just have to face the music, won’t I?

  • Lady Sunshine on Jan 5, 2010

    I second Ken’s sentiments. Death is inevitable.

  • LewSethics on Jan 5, 2010

    You sure know how to set a mood.

  • 8Shei8 on Jan 5, 2010

    I will die one day but not today too! Vivid and strong imagination.

  • AlmaG on Jan 5, 2010

    Great imagery and wonderful poem.

  • albert1jemi on Jan 6, 2010

    beautiful story

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