He Died After A Short Illness

"He died after a short illness."

An elegy for a friend.

Lines in the obits page of a prairie newspaper
Scanned by old folks at the library-you know, that place where they go
To read the papers for free, just follow the smell of camphor

And listen to the rustle of the pages. Smart phones are disfavored.

"He died after a short illness."

Who was he? Husband? Father? Tradesman? Loyal son of his father before him?

What was his story?

He came from a place heavy with old trees and sadness

To the wide open spaces of the west. The West.

The West, where agoraphobes need not apply

And anyone can be a great photographer.

The photogenic west.

And the horizons are endless

And the land is dry

And the weather is dramatic

And the creatures are different. 

And people are different. Not better or worse, just different.

"He died after a short illness."

A line or two in a small town prairie newspaper read by old folks.

-Robert Luedeman (2018).

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