Can you foresee your death?
One fine morning, can you know
That you'll be gone by
That afternoon?
Does the Buddhist bird on
Your right shoulder whisper
The time and the place of
Your demise and the way
You'll pass away?
It seemed so in my
Grandpa's case.
He woke up that day.
Visited the family barber whom
We still paid in grains.
Had his bath,
Put on a new shirt
Which was very unlike him.
Then applied Vibhooti on
His forehead and visited
All the temples in the village.
On the way back, met his
Usual friends. Sat with them
Under the Banyan tree by
The end of the street.
And when he was back home
By mid-day, we kids were
Dancing off to really loud
Music put up by my father.
For some reason Grandpa
Got irked by it and got into
An argument and a brief fight
With my father-
A classic case of Indian fathers-
"I don't know how to hug you
But this is goodbye, son."
Then he ate lunch served
By my grandma in the kitchen.
I hope he really thanked her
In his own way and pleaded
Sorry for the stuff he put
Her through.
Then he went to the other
House for a nap.
There was urine on the floor
When Grandma went to
Wake him up.
He had passed away
In his sleep.
Quick and painless and
Didn't burden anyone.
People in the locality
Called it a good death.
I too agree if you ask me.
He should've emptied
His bladder before his nap though.
Maybe the Budhhist birds
Wanted the scene to be
A bit messy to avoid suspicion.
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