cause of death

did you see, she  says to me

while turning over 

a page of the paper, did you see

that so and so died.

again? I say, sipping my coffee.

i didn't know he was still alive.

she peers over the top of the paper

then goes back to reading it

out loud.  

cause of death, undetermined,

but no foul play suspected.

i don't like obits without a reason

for death.

for some reason i need to know

how people die, so that i can

put that on the list of things

to avoid.

he was in show business for 60

years, she reads.

comedian, actor, writer.

married six times.

okay.

now i got it, i tell her. 

got what?

the cause of death.

that's not funny, she says to me.

putting the paper down.

well, neither was he the last

40 years.