A Death Before Death Poem by Alexander Raju

Towards me a wheel-chair crawled slow
with the skeleton of a man,
the leftover of a noble life.

His skull made a grotesque smile
and from his sunken eyes soon flashed
the light of familiarity.

His lips trembled to a wry smile,
The skin on his dry face tightened;
I'm shocked, like a meeting in tomb.

I would not have him recognized
But for his son, my former student,
Who pushed cautiously the wheel-chair.

There was a time, I thought of longevity
As the greatest blessing for man
Until I met this Tithonus!

Isn't it always better to die
When healthy you're in mind and body,
That friends can recognize you easily?

September,2019