death is in the living room

© Casey Quinn

death is in

the living room

and he sits

on the couch

chain smoking

cigarettes while

eating a double

bacon cheeseburger

he watches

sitcoms, reruns,

i hear him laughing

at Seinfeld

death is in

the living room

and he's too lazy

to use the treadmill

in the den

death is stressed

at the weight

of his load

the work is slowly

killing him

the big man called

and asked him

to work late again

chronic cough

gray hairs

and wrinkles

are all symptoms

the end

is growing near

death sits

as my shadow

in the living room