By now
having memorized
the pebble-grained
texture of the ceiling
and having mowed the lawn
last week
and having paid off the mortgage
last month
and having put the youngest
through college
last year
and having blinked
farewell to the wife
earlier in the evening,
he noted the waning level
in his IV bag.
Excelsior!—
the ultimate chore
on a meticulous list.
R. A. Allen’s poetry has appeared in the New York Quarterly, Night Train, RHINO Poetry, and elsewhere. He has one Pushcart nomination. He lives in Memphis. The Internet is his Charybdis of procrastination. You can read more about him here.
Categories: Poetry
Tags: aging, chores, college, honey-do list, milestones, mortgage, Punch List, R. A. Allen, to-do list, waiting
Melancholy Hyperbole 