One hundred and seventy-five

pounds nibbled away.

Like a pulp fiction horror story,

except this one was real.

The artist Chose candy.

What would I chose,

to represent you?

Two hundred pilfered chocolate bars.

Three thousand shelled mussels.

Four hundred thousand juggling balls.

A million errant dice.

Or would I need just forty-three candles

that would never be blown out?

The dice landed on forty-two.

And just like that

one hundred seventy-five pounds

(it may have been more)

disintegrated to little more than bone.

You’d be the first to joke

you aren’t a number but a free man.

Old friend, I hope you are free,

now that the pain is over. 

Song Choice: Seasons of Love from Rent

This poem was inspired by the prompt given over at Imaginary Gardens With Real Toads: Skyflower Saturday - Untitled We were to select one of the works of artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres for our inspiration. I chose "Untitled" (Portrait of Ross in L.A.). The piece was intended as "an allegorical representation of the artist’s partner, Ross Laycock, who died of an AIDS-related illness in 1991." The description reminded me very much of an old friend who had passed away due to Lou Gherig's Disease (ALS) and today happens to be his birthday. He would have been forty six this year.