"Death Be Not Proud"

“Death Be Not Proud”

by Kelp

This poem
is about a poem
about a poem.
All three poems
are about death.

A poet wrote a poem
about a poet
who wrote a poem
about death.

As I write this
I am currently alive,
as is the poet;
but the poet
that the poet
wrote about —
that poet is not alive;
he is dead.

All three poets
thought that
by writing a poem
about death
he could somehow
overcome death
(or at least his own death).

I think of William Shakespeare,
another poet,
so sure of his mortality
and of his immortality,
so long as men can breathe
or eyes can see.
And then of Woody Allen,
not a poet,
who said:
“I don’t want to achieve immortality through my work.
I want to achieve it by not dying.”

I thought
by being once removed
from the poet
that was already once removed
I could somehow be
further removed
from death.

Like in a room
of mirrors
when the reflection
of the reflection
of the reflection
appears to be only a reflection.

O dear reader I wish it were true.
(But you too, but you too.)