Man and Death Deal

Location

She held him tightly as she bled

A gushing pool of crimson red.

He cried out, “How can this be?

“Why must she be down, and why not me?”

Her wedding dress was now drenched,

“You’re still beautiful!” his fists now clenched.

Time was ticking, she was fading fast,

Her pupils grew white as if in a trance.

He tried to be strong, but if felt so wrong,

And he wept tears of sorrow all down his pants.

She could no longer speak, was nearly out of breath,

He kissed her cheek just before Death,

Who came from afar was here to take her away,

There was no stopping him, this was the only way.

“Wait, stop!  Take me instead,”

The man, through garbled tears, had said.

He bravely but fiercely took a stance

And looked Death in the eye as he dropped his lover’s hand.

Death laughed, and mocked his plea,

For such a thing could not be done, it simply could not be.

At the same time though, Death had thought,

Nobody has ever stood up to me, nobody before had fought.

This could be interesting, a soul for a life,

Death considered this, for he loved a good strife.

He thought as he looked down at the pure soul in his hands,

Death doesn’t need beauty, it needs the strength of a man.

As Death pondered this all in his head,

The man still stood there, wishing to know the answer, growing full of dread.

He would not regret this choice though, no, not at all,

Besides, what was he to live for, since his lover had to fall?

If Death would hear and fulfill his plea,

Yes, that would still leave a lonely she.

But, he knew she was strong, and that she would heal soon,

Instead of dying out of heartache and doom.

She would recover quickly, both body and heart,

And would locate a new man, from who she’d never have to part.

Surely, the man thought, there is no guy better than me,

But, if she can live, I want her thriving happily.

She was young and beautiful, a catch quite rare,

Surely any guy would kill to have her in his care.

The man and Death, each took to his thoughts,

Meanwhile, the girl’s body already started to rot.

The odor took to the air as death to his victims,

Soon driving hungry vultures to their snacking...

Death finally finished his pondering and looked up to the man,

“Yes, let us switch, for I do like your plan.”

The man was at a loss for his words,

For this now seemed like a suicidal murder.

But, like the gent he grew up to be,

He stuck out his hand to shake for Death’s offering.

As he cleared his eyes to prove he was strong,

The man glanced downward and noticed something was very wrong.

His lover, the girl of his dreams,

Has been devoured, scarcely remaining by the thieves.

Oh the horror, the tears, the ghastly smell!

Of the birds and their feed of his girl that had fell.

He tried scooping her up in his arms once more,

But, she was gone, just bones now lie upon the floor.

Death noticed too and looked without sympathy,

“Boy, we still have a deal, now it’s time for you to leave.”

“No!” said the man, through choked tears once again,

“We never had shaken, besides, she can never live again!”

After all this pondering and deciding on the male,

Death still wanted his end of the deal.

“I can take both of you,” he said with a grin,

“That way, you’ll not have to leave her, no, never again.”

The man pondered this through, now mad and in rage,

Oh, why did death have to work with such a high wage?

The man still could see no reason more to live,

So was again willing, he had his life still to give.

As he opened his mouth, ready to accept,

Out of nowhere a white dove had swept

Right on down to the body of she-

The man’s lover and Death’s new trophy.

It reached right where her heart had once lay,

Now sliver of bone in blood disarray.

It reached with its beak and pulled out a shiny thing,

Took a firm grasp and unfurled its long wings.

With the shiny thing gripped so tight,

The bird, towards the sky, took flight.

As it ascended deep into the clouds,

Death let out a great, big howl.

“How dare that bird run away with my prize,

And take the girl’s soul up into the skies!?”

The man, first confused, then looked relieved,

He wouldn’t have to give up his life totally.

“Deal’s off,” said the man, and Death stomped away.

And the man, though teary-eyed and in pain,

Now knew where his girl was, and smiled.

He looked up and said, “Guess I’ll see you in a little while.”

 

Comments

Additional Resources

Get AI Feedback on your poem

Interested in feedback on your poem? Try our AI Feedback tool.
 

 

If You Need Support

If you ever need help or support, we trust CrisisTextline.org for people dealing with depression. Text HOME to 741741