Well-recited words uttered by numb lips,

Falling on obstinately deaf ears

Did little to arouse their passions.

Neither could it be diminished,

But instead remained flat and familiar

And comfortably predictable.

The thrill of undiscovered treasures

Was never a possibility,

And its absence went unnoticed.

No new conversations were uttered,

No secrets revealed,

And this was missed by neither one.

No raging arguments ever occurred

To hint at some hidden passions

Or interrupt their complacency.

Their children were neither good nor bad,

Required no special attention,

And made no special mark.

They aged according to schedule,

Retired at the proper time,

And expired together at an appropriate age.

They left no trace of themselves,

No great sorrow or precious memory,

Only their bundled belongings left at the curb.

©1997 Gail Von Schlichting



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