Sonnets From Other Lives: David & Jonathan

They were down to their last few T cells—
& so they argued over who’d die first.
Both of them agreed the perfect hell
of the other’s family’s grief would be far worse
than dying--that put them on the same page.
Who needs a mother’s cold accusing grief.
Who wants a father’s seething guilty rage?
The Big Sleep would be The Big Relief.
They made all the arrangements in advance—
the music, words, the caskets and the performers.
One wanted DJ and a dance.
One wanted wailing professional mourners.
Their laughter would comingle with their crying
‘till finally it was all over but the dying.