The Final Pose

By Mark Tulin

I’m not afraid of death.
I practice it every day
in my 8 a.m. yoga class,
simply lying there
without a care in the world,
feeling nothing but eternity.

I close my eyes
with the lights turned low
and the sounds of life
muted and blurred,
knowing that eventually
I will have a resting place
in the great unknown.

It’s a memorable pose.
A reminder of what I’ve done,
who I’ve met,
things I’ve accomplished
in my little speck of time.

It’s like any other pose
I might take,
except this one is supine
with no heartbeat
or breath.

                 
Mark’s poetry and stories are his most effective ways of expressing himself. His upcoming poetry book, Awkward Grace, will be out in early 2020.