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Pearls at the Wake

I must admit I glance at the obits.
Is there someone I know? Someone close-knit?
I see faces of strangers I don’t know—
I pray they rise to be with God, then go
To the cartoons. No politician’s crap!
Garfield’s my man! He is the king of naps.
When I want wit, I read Pearls before Swine
And smirk at its factious, biting lines.
I conclude with For Better or for Worse.
Better a laugh than to brood on a hearse.
At my wake, let them “pay respects” and grin:
Have the comics displayed beneath my chin.

.

.

Peter Venable has been writing poetry for 50 years. He has been published in Windhover, Third Wednesday, Time of Singing, The Merton Seasonal, American Vendantist, The Anglican Theological Review, and others. He is a member of the Winston Salem Writers. On the whimsical side, he has been published in Bluepepper, Parody, Laughing Dog, The Asses of Parnassus, Lighten Up Online (e. g. # 48) and the Society of Classical Poets.


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6 Responses

  1. jd

    Enjoyed the poem, Peter, and also all the “shout outs” to humorous content and poetry sites.

    ps Love the last line, especially.

    Reply
  2. Jeremiah Johnson

    Loved this! I want the comics displayed under my own chin at my funeral! My favorite strips are “Calvin and Hobbes” and Walt Kelly’s “Pogo.” You bring back memories of when I was a kid. My father would sneak outside early Sunday mornings before my brothers and I woke up, pull the sheaf of comics out of the newspaper, and lock himself in his office. Then. later, we’d go out and get the paper and sift eagerly through it, not realizing we’d been duped. So we’d sit outside his office in the hallway as he slipped each finished sheet under the door for us to read. Thanks again for this!

    Reply
  3. Paul Freeman

    Funnies and puzzles for me.

    A feelgood, smile-inducing poem to clear out the mind.

    Thanks for the read, Peter.

    Reply
  4. Cheryl Corey

    The comics as source material for poetry? Who would’ve thunk? My go-to comics are Mallard Fillmore, Dilbert, and Get Bucky.

    Reply
  5. Patricia Redfern

    What a concept! Comics beneath your chin!
    Quite unique and well written!
    Merry Christmas!

    Patricia

    Reply

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