working out of the garage while measuring

how long it might take them to find what’s left of me

or whether or not there would even be a search

before some stench tipped off a neighbor

and they finally realized how long i had been gone

based on how much my cats had devoured me

i waited for the greyhound on the side of the road

before realizing that there was nowhere else to go

and i’ve seen it all

i’ve done it all

ready to call it a day and tell the grandkids to go outside

and play while i stay in here and take

my medicine to fall asleep

Fred Aiken Writing