agapelodge

Death in Depth (a miserable attempt at poem writing by Ty Joseph)

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about death, yet sometimes it shifts to depth without me noticing. These two words are awfully similar if you consider that only one letter is setting them apart. Still, there is also the more commonplace notion that deep thoughts could be fatal.

In an article published in the Beaver Journal of Medicine it was concluded that nihilism is the number one cause of death in Manhattan’s upper west side (especially around Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.) For that reason, and also because I like space, I chose to live in LA where depth is typically only used to measure the functionality of a swimming pool.   

Having the luck of escaping depth many times, my cause of death should be one of the following: number one – aging; number two – a whodunit murder, if possible - after a three-course dinner; and number three – the release of a musical adaptation of Sex and the City.

Yet there is also the dreary thought that there exists a chance I could die before my time is up, usually followed by a vigorous craving for Chinese food. It is a similar feeling I get every time I am running late to an international flight and not sure whether I remembered to pack everything. Then, somewhere on La Cienega just before the 10 highway, I realize I left my passport at home, and well; may death do me now.  

All I know is that nothing we pack on our way out makes it through. All the memories we collect, people we think we know, tax refunds – all gone in an instant. In the best case scenario we get summoned back by a kooky relative claiming we owe them money; or maybe someone who inadvertently received a pair of pants with our initials from the drycleaner.

And now you will say that there are laudable efforts to defy death by creating and leaving behind works of art, or a self-named cocktail. But then more in-depth, I will counter that ultimately everything will be forgotten, irrelevant or just simply destroyed with the rest of humanity – which, according to many environmentalists, could happen any day now.

I guess the point is, when it comes to thoughts about death - it is recommended to stay in shallow waters and avoid the chance of drowning. So from now on, I shall no longer think about death in depth (unless it concerns a medieval skirmish opponent, naturally.)