a tube, two weeks, between his parching lips

a tube, two weeks, between his parching lips,
distorted their most perfect liply shape,
before he slipped through all our tightened grips,

and so they stayed distorted as two rips,
pushed far apart, so permanent, agape,
a tube, two weeks, between his parching lips,

before his breath escaped from opened lips,
before they pulled from toe to head the drape,
before he slipped through all our tightened grips,

the seconds counted down in IV drips,
with life, the living he could no more ape,
a tube, two weeks, between his parching lips,

and Death did pack his stuff before the Trip,
in preparation for the body's rape,
before he slipped through all our tightened grips,

when scythe, asunder cleaves, and spirit slips,
when brother's spirit lost its body's shape,
a tube, two weeks, between his parching lips,
before he slipped through all our tightened grips.

(C)2009, Christos Rigakos