guys who fell in love with her
always died young
I was old
so I thought I was safe
until our first kiss
when I felt woozy
but I shrugged it off
as just the effects
of her mind blowing
spellbinding kiss
not being superstitious
I didn’t believe
loving her would
doom me to the
grave
two months later
when I told her
I loved her
while eating
pancakes at
an IHOP restaurant
on Westover Terrace
in Greensboro, NC
(I know. Not exactly
an ideal romantic
setting
but I had to go
with the feeling
then and there
when it hit me
harder than
a Cupid arrow
to the heart)
I didn’t die
life was still good
and I was very
very alive
until I drove home
and felt a searing pain
in my chest and sped
to Moses Cone
hospital ER and
collapsed clinically
dead
I had an NDE
saw God and
he blessed me
and said don’t
eat so much salt
and told me I wasn’t
totally dead
I came to on the
exam table hearing
the invasive thuds
of a doctor who
reminded me of
Lon Chaney
slamming defibrillator
paddles on my
heaving chest
When I was fully
recovered and
discharged
from the hospital
my first thought
was maybe Miralda
was right
but not being
superstitious
I didn’t have
a fright and I’m
going to take
another shot at
being with her
tonight
and if I never
write another
poem here
you’ll know
Mirelda
was right
Bob Boyd