I don’t want to die
All pretty and put together
I want to die
Broken and weathered
With dirt under my nails
And skin leathered.
Used up body all a mess
When I am finally laid to rest

Severely shattered broken spirit
A thousand times over
Splintered heart
Let it be seen beyond
My appearance
Unrecognizable end or start

Skin stained by the tears of those
That I did my best to comfort
Let my mind be overloaded
Fried and shorted
Bursting with the memories that love escorted

I don’t wanna die well kept
I wanna die wasted
Well used
With nothing left

Bankrupt with every gift given away
Spent on all but myself
Wrinkled lips from endless amount of praise
Battered feelings from every feeling I felt

Used up hands from
Working
Holding
Loving
Crippled feet from narrow way walking
Blown out knees from fervent praying
Hardened hearing from learning good listening.

When I die
And they lay me down
May there be nothing left
But the good that may have been found

© Billy Charles Root

Excerpt from his book “Pressing On”

http://www.ctupublishinggroup.com/billy-charles-root.html
• Also available on Amazon.com by Title

Photo Credit: © Ronnie Kaufman/CORBIS