Six Pallbearers Poem by Robert R. Railey

Six Pallbearers

Death is such a juggernaut that it cannot be easily ignored; although when were young, the end always seemed much farther away; and therefore, we weren't nearly as fearful of our earthly demise as some older people might be
But then somewhere around midlife that amorphous being that we call death begins to faintly sigh
And that's also about the time when we're reminded that we'd better incorporate a little more caution into our lives; and that we should also begin planning for the inevitable end
Then too, our reward in Heaven, or the long sleep as it's sometimes called, could be nothing more than metaphors for not being alive
But whatever description we use for our last days here on earth, necessity will require of us to bury our remains
And we must also remember that even though it takes twelve to seat a jury, our last rites will require only six
Yet while we are still alive, the propensity for personal harm is almost always near and it seems as if danger is always waiting around the corner just so the crows can caw goodnight
Therefore, we should cease and desist our squabbling and bickering; and especially since it's always nearer to the end
But what if one of your most trusted acquaintances is the kind of person that would visit the funeral home just to make sure that you're actually gone; and if they are that type of person then they wouldn't necessarily be my choice to tote my casket of bones
And as unfortunate as it may be, the feelings that our loved ones have for us have been hammered out on the anvil of life's experiences even well before they'll ever get a chance to carry us out on that old dead door; so then let's pray that at least six of them still love us