Obituary
he left behind a loving wife
three children
many close friends
and the best damn dog this side of the world
sadly
they never even knew he was alive
he never once introduced himself
to the people that would have loved him
he never spoke to those that would be missing him
he surrounded himself
instead
with would-be sages
querulous and self-absorbed
none of them creative or poetic
just arrogant
he never liked any of them much
but that’s what he liked about them
he sat next to his loving wife one day
riding the city transit
on his way to the bookstore
she was sitting right next him
smelling like apricot scented body wash and reading Faulkner
he did not mention to her that he’s always meant to
but has yet to
read Faulkner
and so she did not ask him why
they did not discuss what books they had read
or were their favorites
they did not arrange for coffee/tea the following Friday afternoon
they did not meet at the cafe
make each other laugh
or go out a few nights later to see a movie
they did not kiss after the movie
and he did not ask her if she would see him again
she did not say “yes”
they did not fall in love
and they never married
all because he didn’t bother telling her that he had yet to read Faulkner
his children were jerked off into torn socks
or tissues that were flushed into the sewer system below the city
the close friends all worked at the organic foods grocery store
he never applied at
always afraid he wasn’t “cool” enough to work there
no one would like him
so he didn’t even try
they never had the chance to tell him
that he was an interesting person
that fascinated them with his poetry
and even his music
they never encouraged him to go to an open mic
read a few verses
and they never praised him for it
his dog died alone and unwanted in the pound
