Touching the Dead
At the viewing I found myself
Standing next to the casket,
With the dead body lying there,
Still and cold.
People approached and proclaimed,
“He looks just wonderful.”
“Doesn’t he look great?”
As friends, family, and coworkers
Knelt on the kneeler next to the casket
I was stunned by the number
Of people who reached out to touch
The folded hands of the dead.
To touch the stone cold, lifeless hands
Full of the fluid of death.
Why anyone would want the last touch
Of a loved one or a friend
To be cold and lifeless,
With no chance of a response
Is beyond my comprehension.
I mean, touching the dead
Is like………………
Touching the dead.
Roy W. Backes
© 2021
Roy W. Backes - Poetry 