Not Late

He left behind

His handsomeness,

His hollow lungs,

Hunched shoulders,

A squadron of oxygen tanks, reams of Kleenex,

And a platoon of pills.

He’s  gone

            From the living room.

He passed on

            Living?

           

            to the road he had kept for another day.

He passed

            The test?

He  was informed on military history

And he was known for his skill in tactics and strategy, but

He would not lose a long battle.

            With an unwinnable opponent.

Early on he asked only for courage and grace.

At the end he said he fell short on grace,

Then I told  him that  courage covers grace.

He went to be with

His mother

Who said it would be a celebration,

And  God would pick up the tab.

He is not late.