YOU SHOULD HAVE WATCHED ME DIE
UPON A BED OF STRAW..AND MORE
YOU SHOULD HAVE DAMPENED MY FEVER
AND FED MY SOUL AS I DIED
YOU SHOULD HAVE BORROWED A LENS
TO BRAVELY DEFEND
MY FRAGILE CROWN OF WORDS
WHO CARES ?
YOU SHOULD HAVE RECITED VERSE
TO EASE ME TO THAT DEATH
BRUSHED MY LONG AND DAMPENED HAIR
YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE WHEN TIME BEFELL
YOU SHOULD HAVE FOUGHT WHEN SADNESS SOUGHT
TO TAKE YOU FARAWAY
YOU SHOULD HAVE GAINED COURAGE..AND FRAMED
THE WORDS I BLED FOR YOU..THEY WERE TRUE
AND YOU SHOULD HAVE WEPT
SOME SORT OF FAITHFUL VIGIL KEPT
OVER ME..IN BELIEF OF FUTURE DAY
THOUGH IT SEEMED SO FAR AWAY
TO HOLD TENDERLY MY HEAD
PAINED AND SORROWED UPON THAT BED
OF STRAW..MAYBE AN OLD AND BATTERED CLOAK
YOU SHOULD HAVE ALLOWED YOUR SELF TO BOAST
I LOVED A POET TILL THE END
THESE WORDS TO SEND.