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Loves the Dead

Loves the Dead


My mother loves the
dead she has a curious
fascination with the
dead.

She loves to attend
the funerals of
family members
and even strangers.

My mother is the
first person to call 
and talk endless
about the dead.

Does not matter if
she does not know
these dead people
but she cries tears
of sorrow as if she
does.

If she could be
hired at wakes as a
professional mourner
she would be a
millionaire because
she is very
convincing.

But at the family
funerals she is very
animated. 
My mother is the one
to watch because she says
that she is going to
jump in the coffins of
this cousin or that
aunt or that 
brother-in law or
sister.

My mother loves to
watch the local news
programs for news about the
dearly departed and
then she makes arrangement to
attend the funerals.

Once she took three
Septa buses to attend the funeral
of a little girl who died across
town in North Philly.

Another time she
attended the funeral
of a house itself.
She heard about a
run-down house that
was to be eulogized
and given a funeral
by local community
activists. 
She said the food
was delicious

She is known for doing the hair of
the dead in the family.
I wondered if my
mother missed her
calling by not
working in the
industry.

My mother just loves
the dead she is very
emotional when a
family member dies.
My sister drives her
to the hospital or
the funeral home
because she must
view the dead body. 
She said they look
like they are
asleep.

My mother loves to
talk about the dead 
with one exception
that of her own
mothers’ who died young and
left my mother behind
with her own six children.

Recently with loses
in the family.
My mother is re-living her
mother’s death. 
The wooden brown
coffin and the blue
night gown
and matching blue
shoes and the
painted on red lip
stick.

Copyright © Mel Brake | Year Posted 2014

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