poem of the day 12.08.09

great ones taken

great ones fall away
while the rest of us wait to cross
the street

great ones pass away
on cold nights
while footballs games get played

great ones are taken
as we pull on over-priced drinks
or sings songs
in a tepid shower

they are taken
as young boys sit in old kitchens
with eggs frying
and the morning radio
set to talk

great ones are stripped from
the earth
as the mediocre clamor for space
as disease rages
the dull copulate on soiled sheets
and the bills aren’t any closer
to getting paid

yes
greats ones get taken like us
but not like us
they are taken by age and famine
by the cruel wind

they are taken by gunshot
under warm amber lights
with the city blazing bold
and a beautiful park
only a stone’s throw away.

they are taken
and the world often never recovers
from it.