my mother dropped dead
in a hospital lobby
my father dropped dead
in a cousin's hallway
if this is the family pattern
I might drop dead
in a restaurant
before I'm served
in a theater
before the movie ends
at the computer
before the page loads
in this poem
before the last line
but on the other hand
I may drop dead from
down the highway nude
pursued by rabid Republicans
who mistake me for a Democrat
when I'm really just shedding
the strait jacket of civilization
and hoping to catch a rare whiff
of fresh air before I die
if such a miracle is possible
--Charles Deemer
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