The River of Dead who have Flowed Through my Life..by Robert M. Katzman
Saturday July 30, 2011
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Inevitably
They die
Â
Mothers
Fathers
Aunts
Uncles
Â
And
Most Â
Leave
Evidence
Of their Lives
Behind
Them Â
Â
Bits and Pieces
for the
Kids
To sort through
Â
Might be
Ten Kids
But usually
Just
One
Accepts
The Pain
Â
The Others?
They Move On
It doesn’t take
a
Village
to
Disassemble Mom
Â
Somehow
The One that Cared the Most
is
Cursed with the Cleanup
Â
Deep Sentiment
for
Nearly a Century
 of a
  Life
Evaporates…along with the Guilt
Â
 Damn!
Â
Forgot to Buy Mom
A
Mother’s Day Card!
Â
OK
Â
I’ll Just Call Her
She’ll like That
Â
But whoever
“forgotâ€
To buy the card
will
Also
beÂ
Unavailable to See
Â
The
Taped and Tattered
ShoeboxÂ
Filled
to
Overflowing
with
Seventy Years
Of
Mother’s Day
Anniversary
Christmas
And
Birthday Cards
Â
Mothers Remember
They always know
Â
You can
Lie
to
Yourself
Â
But when
She Dies
The Acidic Sting
of your
Neglect
will live on
Within You
Â
As her treasures
Become
Redistributed
Donated
And
Trashed
Â
Like
Some
Eternal Â
Small Town
Yard Sale
Â
Where
the same
Snapshots
of an
Existence
Endlessly
Circulate
on
some
Existential
Track
Â
Long After
the
Original
Owner
Is
Gone
Â
Aged Parents:
Want to be Happy
In your
Afterlife?
Â
Lower your Expectations
Now
Â
Give it all away
Now
Â
Spare the One
who
Truly
Loved You
Don’t Bury them
With
Emotional Tonnage
Â
Go Lightly
When
You Leave
Â
Learn to Let Go
Â
The Minister
May Say:
Dust to Dust
Â
But I think
God
was
actually
 making
a
Subtle
Suggestion
Â
Not
Stating
a
Fact
Â
Take the Hint
Â
Life is Heavy
Â
Let Go
Â
About the writer and his other life in Skokie, Illinois:
My Store twitter: @MagazineMuseum
My Stories Twitter: @ChicagoKatzman
Bob Katzman’s Magazine Museum: 100,000 periodicals back to 1576!
Wall of Rock: 50 years of cool Rock periodicals on display & for sale
4906 Oakton St. (8000 north and 4900 west) Skokie, Ill 60077
(847)677-9444 Mon-Fri: 10 am to 5 pm / Weekends: 10 am to 2 pm
Katzman’s Publishing Company site: www.FightingWordsPubco.com
Katzman’s online non-fiction stories: www.DifferentSlants.com
Poetry? For me, writing poetry is not an option.
It’s a response to emotion. Like cigarette smoke,
it’s fast-flowing, shapeless and with little time to capture it.
Writing poetry in an imperative. I say what I feel compelled to say.
I sell my five published books via mail order and accept major credit cards.
I don’t use PayPal. I just talk to people on the phone.
Fast, reliable service. Read my stories and see what you think.
I’m also available for hire to read my true Chicago stories to organizations
and answer all questions. I autograph my books when I sell them.
I am currently seeking an agent to do more readings.
Feel free to call me at the number above.
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