How To Be Dead - Lisa Owens Viani

[Larry Robinson]

How To Be Dead

Do not feel
the sun cascading
on your shoulders
like a warm waterfall
as you walk
Do not watch
the violet green swallows
skimming overhead
so close that a strand
of your hair lifts and falls
in their wake,
Do not notice
the pale green
just emerging leaves
of the persimmon tree
the oak trees,
the frothy blossoms of the apple
tree and the cherry.
Do not pet every dog
you see on your walk
from the friendliest
pitbull "Petey" to the joyful
ball-obsessed cocker spaniel.
Do not listen to exquisite
music in one ear, birdsong
in the other.
Refuse to feel
the sweetness of it all.

     - Lisa Owens Viani



"Be joyful though you have considered all the facts."
    - Wendell Berry