An Acquaintance Died Last Evening

An acquaintance died last evening.
A sudden, but expected death
From cancer and chemo.
When last seen
She was undoubtedly alive,
Full of spirit, a firm smile, gritted teeth.
A survivor, we all thought.
But not for long.
Her extinction leaves a coldness
Stretching taut the nerve ends of my spine,
And leaves me with vague feelings
Of another death - mine.
Who will mourn my passing?
Who will even think of asking?
Who will weep?
Who will shiver in their beds
Then, simply return to sleep?
Who will even want to know?
Whose interest will be kindled?

Pause for thought.......
Time to ask.....
Time for one small, heartfelt request.
Dear God, grant me my full three score and ten,
And then
Another fifty years on top again!
Just think
Time
Time to read those unread and unwritten books
Time to write one hundred poems
Time to finish the unfinished novel
Time to love, and love again.
Time to seek immortal fame.
Time......
Until at last my own departure
Evokes a Universal, world-wide response
"See, hear, old HK died last night.
How sad.
But, hey, he had a good, long life.
And listen, I can remember
Something he wrote, oh way back when,
' An acquaintance died last evening.....' "