Need I remind you
to hug the clock daily,
and hold minutes and seconds dearly?
Need I remind you,
that you could have gone
to eternal slumber
after last night’s conversation?
that your still being here
is not your doing?
is not by might, nor is it
by virtue of own intellect?
Need I remind you, just how much
you’re not in control?
Need I?
Pause for the black Mariah –
Dethrone your hat
when you witness her slow elegance
hug the neighborhood corner
Lower your countenance
of callousness and certainty
Set aside your foolish pride
and show her some respect
Never be self-assured, in her presence
She hates that, for she has eyes
and just as she passes by, remember
she knows the remnants
of your final day, and she knows
the way, of your last ride
She knew you, and heard your name
when you shattered her eardrums
with your first cry, rudely waking her
from across the sleeping ethers of time,
announcing your arrival
She knew from then on, she will carry you
to the afterlife, when the hour -
known to her only – has come
Need I remind you, layman?
No journey is more final, than hers
– Pause -
for the black Mariah