Passing
Of all the words
for death
the best is passing --
passing by
passing through
passing out.
"She passed," they say,
and I can see her driving:
her scarf, red lips,
and jaunty little wave;
or passing through,
she shrugs, apologizing,
squeezing through
the crowd along the way.
Or best of all,
I see her at a party,
weaving, woozy,
grinning ear-to-ear.
Calling for her designated driver,
She snaps her fingers,
"Come and take me home."
Location:Passing
This is one of my favorites of yours, dealing with what can be such a heavy subject with just the right amount of heart and humor. Curious why you didn't mention passing away or passing on, though... those are the two I usually think of.
ReplyDeleteBut I say that as a linguist. I've had extended discussions about how "pass" transforms depending which preposition you stick on it. :)
Don't forget your passport. :)
ReplyDeleteKaren, this is so beautiful. I like to think my Grandfather 'passed on', as though he had better and more urgent things to do elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteLet us not leave out Passing the torch to the next generation Karen. I think I will just be found passed out or passed around like a party tray, that's be kind of cool too..
ReplyDeleteThe last line, does it for me, round sit off and finishes the passing
ReplyDeleteIt's all about the passing of time with lots of colour along the way! Very creative!
ReplyDeleteA lot of humor here, Karen! Yes, get the escort's attention by the snap of the fingers 'and let's go home'. Great write!
ReplyDeleteHank
Fabulous! The red lips, the snap of the fingers --- what well-chosen imagery! A great write.
ReplyDeleteWooohooo...what a great piece. Weirdly reminded me of a Stephen King Storyt called Mrs. Todd's Shortcut. This is a wonderful way of thinking of it...I definitely want to "pass" this way. Great writing.
ReplyDeletePerfect! I see her too ...........
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this apparent lightness and sweetening of death.
ReplyDeleteI read this with all possible passings, including the pun-full and painful possibility that it was passing drunk in a car which marked her passing so that this is the image forever recurring. Maybe this reading reflects more of my own experience than your poem.
You have captured her so well I can see her. I love her snap of the fingers at the end. She is so alive, till the very last moment, in "passing".
ReplyDeletei couldn't agree more... passing through to whatever's next... passing out of this realm and into another... passing time~literally from a quantum physics perspective... passing.
ReplyDeleteWow! I never thought of death as passing as the way you have described it. Unique and interesting!
ReplyDeleteThis is terrific! I do agree that 'passing' is a good word...passing from one life to another. I do like the description you gave of 'her.' You brought her to life with only a few words. I haven't read a lot of your poetry, but if this is how you write then I will def be back!
ReplyDeleteWow I usually don't care so much for poems about death but yours was really nice. Great feeling here.
ReplyDeleteWow! The freedom is intoxicating. I won't look at passing away in quite the same way. I'll see/her him passing by. :)
ReplyDelete