basically i'm afraid everyone i love will die this year.

[apiphile]

fancy yourself as a lobster? me too.

But if we could, walk sideways
wear our skeletons on the outside
and keep our stomachs full of blood;
instead of trimming our spines,
tripping the aquaria fantastic
as we making V-signs at their shining faces -
coming to rest in the darkest corners.
There is no mourning the fragility of life
from inside a suitable armour;
decorate my carapace with broken glass
and leave me where love and loss
can do no harm.

--

Followed shortly by what is less "homage" and more "fromage" I think.

the anti-elegy

i will go gentle into that dark,
you can leave the clocks ticking,
i do die, and i do here sleep
but without raging and without pause
do not stand at my grave and
all that jazz, just have a fag and
march right on, for the winter's
coming to claim us all and
i thought i'd get a head start and that.
so i'll go peacefully into the night
without putting up a struggle,
and you keep the mourners from coming
until i'm good and done, we'll leave
the stars out for those who are yet
to follow on this earth - who says
my death changes anything? chin up -
it could be worse.