What If Tonight Was Your Last Night Ever?

There is a day or a night

that awaits your dismissal

from life itself. It is a given

and completely inevitable,

but it is a passage to another

life without death. Souls cannot

die, they just vacate the

crumbling dwellings of flesh.

So….What if tonight was

your last night ever,

wrapped in that shroud

of your sheets and blankets?

With no alarm to disturb you

come the next day because

you cannot be awakened.

What if today was your last

day ever. It would not matter

anymore to you if it was sunny

or freezing cold or rainy. All

feelings dissipate when your

soul is snatched in an instant

from your flesh. You would be

aware for anywhere from a few

seconds to a minute or two that

you had ceased to exist.

Just when you never suspected

that death is a fickle son of a hitch

He puts a big one in a lot of folks

plans.

He doesn't care much

if your young, old, pretty, rich

or healthy as a horse,

before the glue factory.

All creatures are slated to die

but we as humans are the only

species that are so

aware of it happening.

We are all afraid of it

but it should be embraced,

for it is only a step towards

the great beyond. We come

into the world through a

long dark tunnel where

we are expelled into the light.

We exit the world through

a long dark tunnel that propels

us towards the light. What waits

in that light remains unknown

to the remains left behind.

But the soul is flown through

darkness towards light,

and that alone should bring

us hope.

Death is not interested in the

light or dark of it. he focuses on his job

which he does very well.

He just snatches

all you have left

and you wind up

naked on a cold slab

in some morgue drawer

just east of your

fondest dreams.

I know this is true,

I have seen death's

calling card dropped

near me, far too often.

I have even stood there

when he came to collect.

Thankfully I was not his

latest victim.

I have seen boys shot,

folks ground up

in metal and glass,

I even went to help out

when my brother-in law

died in his his sleep.

His head resting on his arm

as if he was simply snoozing

but his bottom half of his

body was almost black from

the blood pooled beneath him.

All this after a huge

fight with my sister

and a storming off to bed.

no dawn for him and no

apologies nor even the

chance to make amends.

Just total oblivion here on

what once was his realm

into the kingdom of death.

His death still haunts her.

I have even removed

a pack of camels

from a man who went

out for a smoke break

and then collapsed on

his way back to work.

We beat on his chest

for what seemed like

forever and gave him

mouth to mouth

but he was beyond

the kiss of life.

He had spent his last night

the evening before and never

knew it would all go up

in smoke the very next day.

Oh, I have lived this

same scenario

four times where I tried

to bring back another

that death had selected.

I saved two and lost two.

it's the ones I lost

that prompt this write....

This rite of passage.

I have beaten death

myself several times

but he is not mocked.

he'll be beating on

my flesh soon.

So what would you do

if it was your last night?

would you kiss your spouse

before they went to sleep?

kiss your kids and tell them

that you love them??

shouldn’t we all be doing that

anyway nightly?

There's a grave

near my house

that holds the last

words of a man

who went out one night

to get some milk,

and never came home.

his grave simply says,

"I'll see you later."

Would he have said more

if he had only known?

Perhaps he will see them

later, much later but he was

taken for granite and that's

all that's left above him.

Are there secrets

tucked away somewhere

that you haven't gotten

around to getting rid of?

They will be found,

if you die tonight.

Porn under your mattress?

Another lover somewhere

who might just tattle when

you are no longer lovable?

Unpaid bills, taxes due or

a cancelled insurance policy.

There is a lot to be said for

getting your affairs in order,

but what if you don’t get that

chance. What are you leaving

your loved ones behind with?

Is your heart right with God?

Are you in good standing

or at least making an effort

to be on his list of those he

will call home if death takes your

earthly houses away?

We stop praying

"Now I lay me down to sleep,"

when we are still kids,

but maybe tonight

you just might fall on your

knees and rehash that

old poem.

There are a million

ways to go,

and your ticket's

already been punched

with the date and time

death just has to get you

on board but it's usually

a back board.

Oh, and don't bother packing

you won't be taking

anything with you.

All of your possessions

and money will be tallied

and parceled out according

to your wishes but only if

you have a will. Oops, got you

on that one.

Maybe that’s why it might make

sense to spend it now while you

can still enjoy all of the fruits

of your labors.

And what about your organs?

I know of a two year old

who needs a kidney,

and there's a whole lot of people

who are dying for a heart,

you going to let yours rot?

or live on in another

hopeful, persons body?

Would you let a Huge cut of

prime rib spoil and rot in a

refrigerator drawer when it

could feed and nourish some

one else? Some poor cow

already died for it,  so why

not share your useable organs?

You won’t be needing them.

Give the gift of life as you die.

Don't close your eyes

and think about this

without thinking

about your corneas

which a blind person

could really use.

Do consider all those

who died because there

wasn’t enough hearts,

livers, kidneys and lungs

to transplant theirs and

save them. Talk about

earning brownie points just

before you meet your maker.

Are your underwear clean?

it won't matter,

your bowels let

loose when you die,

you also take a leak,

so whatever you

are wearing is fine.

Did you take your pills?

a lot of people don't,

and it's just killing them.

Have you been putting off

that doctors appointment

over that nagging pain

in your chest, your back,

your legs, wherever??

Pain is a warning sign,

don't just mask it,

expose it for what it really is.

Most of the time it's nothing.

but death hates

those early symptoms.

They drive a lot of folks to

seek help depriving him of

an early demise.

He likes to surprise you,

he does it a lot,

he's doing it right now

all over the world,

times thousands

who are spending

tonight as their last.

Are you in his

rol-a-dex of death?

does he have your number?

Go ahead and have

that extra piece of pie.

it won't matter if it's your last,

and it will taste sooooo good.

Make that decision

you've been putting off,

Tell your spouse or lover

you are dying to have sex,

lest you die before you do.

Settle any old fights or

arguments. Call them now

or sooner, now would be

better, before they pay you

a last call

just tell them you had

a premonition and you didn't

want it to come true,

without making things right.

Make a list of all

that you'd like to do,

and get it done.

It might be tomorrow

night or next month

or whenever, but live

like each night

will be your last

and then you will

be truly living.

whether death

comes or not.

“Knock Knock....

who's there?

tomorrow morning...

tomorrow mourning who??

tomorrow morning

they'll be mourning you."

Are you having fun??

Have you got

something better to do

than read this poem?

Then leave me a comment,

so that I can die happy

and so that I won't

think of you as rude.

but if you die before you do,

and than go enjoy the great

beyond and do something

you've always wanted to.

That's where I'm headed.

sermons over, I am preaching

to the choir so I’ll

see ya, on the flip side.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What if tonight was

your last night ever,

wrapped in that shroud

of your sheets and blankets.

Never suspecting that

death is a fickle son of a hitch

he puts a big one in

a lot of folks plans.

He doesn't care much

if your young, old, pretty, rich

or healthy as a horse,

before the glue factory,.

He just snatches

all you have left

and you wind up

naked on a cold slab

in some morgue drawer

just east of your fondest dreams.

I know this is true,

I have seen death's calling card

dropped far too often.

I have even stood there

when he came to collect.

I have seen boys shot,

folks ground up

in metal and glass,

I even went to help out

when my brother-in law

died in his his sleep.

His head resting on his arm

as if he was simply snoozing

but his body was almost black from

the blood pooled beneath him.

All this after a huge

fight with my sister

and a storming off to bed.

no dawn for him ....no apologies

nor even the chance to

just oblivion on this earth.

His death still haunts her.

I have even removed

a pack of camels

from a man who went

out for a smoke break

and then collapsed on

his way back to work.

We beat on his chest

for what seemed like forever

and gave him mouth to mouth

but he was beyond the kiss of life.

He had spent his last night

the night before and never knew.

Oh, I have lived this

same scenario

four times where I tried to bring back

another that death had selected.

I saved two and lost two.

it's the ones I lost

that prompt this write....

This rite of passage.

I have beaten death

myself several times

but he is not mocked.

he'll be beating on

my flesh soon.

So what would You do

if it was your last night,

did you kiss your spouse

before they went to sleep,

kiss your kids

and tell them that you love them??

There's a grave

near my house

that holds the last

words of a man

who went out one night

to get some milk,

and never came home.

his grave simply says,

"I'll see you later."

Would he have said more

if he had only known?

Perhaps he will see them later,

................much later,

but he has been taken for granite

and that's all that's left above him.

Are there secrets

tucked away somewhere

that you haven't gotten

around to getting rid of?

They will be found,

if you die tonight.

Is your heart right with God?

Are you in good standing

or at least making an effort to be

on his list of those he will call home

if death takes your earthly home away?

We stop praying

"Now I lay me down to sleep,"

when we are still kids,

but maybe tonight

you just might fall on your knees

and rehash that old poem.

There are a million ways to go,

and your ticket's

already been punched

with the date and time

death just has to get you on board.

but it's usually a back board.

Oh, and don't bother packing

you won't be taking anything with you.

All of your possessions and money

will be tallied and parceled out

according to your wishes

but only if you have a will.

oops, got you on that one.

And what about your organs?

I know of a two year old

who needs a kidney,

and there's a whole lot of people

who are dying for a heart,

you gonna let yours rot?

or live on in another

hopeful persons body?

Don't close your eyes

and think about this

without thinking

about your corneas

which a blind person

could really use.

Are your underwear clean?

it won't matter,

your bowels let

loose when you die,

you also take a leak,

so whatever you

are wearing is fine.

Did you take your pills?

a lot of people don't,

and it's just killing them.

Have you been putting off

that doctors appointment

over that nagging pain

in your chest, your back,

your legs, wherever??

Pain is a warning sign,

don't just mask it,

expose it for what it really is....

most of the time it's nothing.

but death hates

those early symptoms.

He likes to surprise you,

he does it a lot,

he's doing it right now

all over the world,

times thousands

who are spending

tonight as their last.

Are you in his

rol-a-dex of death?

does he have your number?

Go ahead and have

that extra piece of pie.

it won't matter if it's your last,

and it will taste sooooo good.

Make that decision

you've been putting off,

Tell your spouse or lover

you are dying to have sex,

lest you die before you do.

Settle any old fights or arguments

call them now or sooner,

now would be better,

just tell them you had a premonition

and you didn't want it to come true,

without making things right.

Make a list of all

that you'd like to do,

and get it done.

It might be tomorrow

night or next month

or whenever, but live

like each night

will be your last

and then you will

be truly living.

whether death

comes or not.

Knock Knock....

who's there?

tomorrow morning...

tomorrow mourning who??

tomorrow morning

they'll be mourning you."

Are you having fun??

Have you got

something better to do

than read this poem?

Then leave me a comment,

so that I can die happy

and so that I won't think you rude

if you die before you do,

and than go do something

you've always wanted to.

That's where I'm headed.

see ya on the flip side.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~