The Undertaker

By Dr Sophie Olszowski

I laughed about you,
The kind of laughter that comes easily,
In the wake of death,
And has nothing to do with happiness.

Before I met you, 
Wondering why anyone would choose your job,
Of all the options, 
Strange, like chiropodist, or dentist. 

Then I visited you,
To plan place, readings, date and car, 
And knew I could trust you,
To look after my love, my world. 

So I confided in you, 
I wanted to put a biscuit in his coffin, 
In case he’s ever hungry,
And you nodded, as if it were obvious.

Then I returned to you,
Saying I wanted to tumble in beside him, 
But instead, added a small wooden heart,
As you watched, your eyes saying simply, “Of course.”

I was unsure about you,
Choosing the dead as your companions, 
Yet you understand the living,
Better than most. 

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Written Word ‘Soul’ poems