Perish, the Thought

Maybe I will perish as I pass along a precipice. One wrong step,
And down I'll fall into the riverbed below. Maybe I won't be so
Lucky. I'll succumb to some disease which sends me, first,
Into a hospice where I steadily decay, and then, one day, my
Heart stops beating, family members trapped close by
To witness... nothing, truly nothing, an eviscerated husk
Of someone they had known departing. I suppose that I
Would feel some terror as I tumbled downward from
A crumbling precipice, but that brief bout of misery for me
Would be, as Bentham and his ilk would argue, not so
Painful for so many as would having members of my family
Watch me die.





Poetry by Lawrence Beck The PoetBay support member heart!
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Written on 2025-11-11 at 02:53

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Griffonner The PoetBay support member heart!
Though morose, an thought provoking piece, this. Both my parents, comatose, passed into the hereafter in hospital beds; my dad alone in the night (after we were told to go home and rest) and my Mother, alone with me trying to bring comfort to her. For them it may have been the desired passing in their sleep which so many people want. How it affected them I obviously can't say, but for me it was traumatic. I concur with your thoughts in this honest poem, Lawrence, but you know? We just don't get to choose - dammit!
Blessings, Allen
2025-11-11


William Hughes The PoetBay support member heart!
This is definitely relatable for me. In the past 4 years I have lost all of my siblings. 2 were in hospice--a very sobering and somber place.
2025-11-11