My Old Dead Friends... Dec 20th,2012 Poem by James Bredin

MY OLD DEAD FRIENDS … DEC 20TH,2012
BY
JAMES BREDIN

Many of my old friends and companions are now long dead
There was Milton, Jim, Oliver, Otto, George, Steve and Fred
They are gone forever now and never coming back,
Names and faces programmed in my memories to keep track.




Most of them were not pleased about dying or how they died,
No assisted suicide for the pain and anguish as some of them cried,
Though doctors say they can get rid of all pain, but apparently they can't,
And I realize of course that this is one terrible rant.




I wouldn't feel so bad if we had death-with-dignity for my friends,
But in Canada, we can't plan this or change it or even make amends,
It's what they told Sue Rodriguez when she tried for assisted suicide,
Her death-with-dignity ideas and theirs, tended to collide.

DEC 20TH,2012