Oh, I'm no longer that idiotic fool
who hurts then burns his bridges
I dropped my nutty, no more being cruddy
and I bloody well won't relapse again!
I'm not that guy who winds up alone
withering away in a broken motel room
I've discovered my stride, yes love's inside
the burning question now 'tis when?
I shan't be that old, pathetic saboteur
destroying all the love he's acquired
why not indeed, I've uncovered my speed
but please tell me this isn't a whim!
When the grim reaper roars my name
As shocking as that truth may come
The last thought in my baffled brain
Will be of you my twinly chum
When the pale horseman howls at me
As jolting as that whinny sounds
The last thought in my hopeful head
Will be of your sweet princely crowns
When the hard bone collector calls
As ghastly as that knell may loom
The last thought in my dumbstruck mind
Will be of us from womb to tomb
If I end up lying unconscious or so gravely ill I'm unresponsive,
well of course then I won't be having any more words with you
And although I'll still be here alive and breathing in life's cheer
final speeches made won't make any lists of what I still can do
We are still here
Still in the hunt
But near the end
To be quite blunt
We are still here
Not dead twins yet
But not much time
To strut and fret
We are still here
Still in the game
But soon must go
To whence we came
Mine has been an E ticket ride, while standing in line as a duo!
I didn't enter the park alone, all amusements came with a hero
My life has been an adventurous kind, I've seen and done a lot!
I don't have any money to show, great memories are what I got
Oh, we were lucky to be us, 'twas as if we'd won the big lottery!
had lots of fun on our interesting run and all of it came for free
Here is what's going to happen
You come into this world unclad
At risk and small and softheaded
But not alone
Not as a twin
You're stark naked but with someone
A DNA identical
Right there in the womb for nine months
Feeding off the same placenta
This is what's going to happen
You grow up and old together
Brashly cute and codependent
But not solo
Not on your own
You're well-dressed but in deep water
Clones of modus operandi
Right here for sixty-five plus years
Heading to the same old brick wall
There will be no indelible headstones for us
For the likes of us as our father used to say
Our Asian wives will have our bodies burned
Then scatter the ashes to send us on our way
I'll ask my wife to pour me into the sea
Perhaps your wife will plant you in the yard
Our dusty atoms tossed with no trace
Hats off to the twin who plays the last card
MARSHALL LILLY, WHO DID NOTHING IN HIS LIFE
DIES OF CHAGUS DISEASE COMPLICATIONS AT 66
Oh, I've got one thing to add, yes, I've something more to say
and I've just got to get it out while I'm still breathing anyway
because tomorrow isn't here and the next day's not for now
so, no time like this presently 'tis what I'm speaking anyhow
Well, what I need to say out loud while I've got you in my loop
truth be told I've been a selfish prick, a really total nincompoop
and I'm taking this opportunity to set all my bad records right
plus, doing amends brings amenders much closer to the light
I'm running low on granddad fuel
An old man ready for his nap
The checkered flag is in the air
And soon I'll take my final lap
I'm flying slow on empty fumes
A geezer falling from the sky
The catastrophic impact zone
A life that left me high and dry
And then, with a flutter, 'tis lights out
no more, "Wait, there's one thing more I wanted to say!"
and regardless of whether that moment's violent or peaceful
the reality of such unconsciousness will stay
There's no calling out from the darkness
zero, "Wait, I didn't get a goodbye or heartfelt farewell!"
and the only sounds the saddened living shall be hearing
are distant tolling's from a funeral's mournful bell
Oh, love matters
been sweet 'tis a person who counts
as we all want the good guys to win
and when they do, we joyfully shout
Oh, kindness matters
acting nicely tips the well-being hat
and pushing against the bad guys
puts a feather in the better guy's cap
Oh, happy endings matter
just watch any movie, you'll see
when good guys at last achieve victory
why naturally we all cheer with glee!
