Image sourced

He died politely while you were out
He disturbed nothing, he did not leave a mess
He did not publicize his demise
He died quietly, it was a family matter
He died in the spare bedroom, it’s okay – no one ever sleeps there
The dishes were done, the sheets had been changed
You felt no embarrassment about the house’s condition
Made coffee for those who came to collect the body
His death should produce no complaints
Life had already gone around him and now without him
Sparing a bubble of space for a void of a man
Who didn’t listen to you again last night
He died politely when the weather was good
Reduce the excuse of those unable to attend
Summon only a little hysteria for this occasion
His goodbye was decades in the making

Raj Dronamraju is an American who has resided in Malaysia for 16 years. He is a Lecturer in Communication and English subjects at Quest International University Perak. Raj has written three volumes of poetry (THE RETURN OF THE MAGNIFICENT NINNY, SOLIDARITY WITH THE FLESH EATING MOSAIC, and TRAVELS WITH THE ANTI-JOHNNY APPLESEED) as well as three novels all of which are available for sale on Amazon and other book selling websites. His poetry has been featured in numerous publications. More information on the published works of Raj Dronamraju can be found here. His poetry archive is here.

Are you a poet? Send us some of your poems over to [email protected]! We also welcome short stories as well. Do include a short bio along with an image of yourself.