Suicide

If you're a man under 50 the person most likely to kill you is yourself

roughly a million people top themselves every year
that's a lot of people
imagine them all jumping off the same roof
at the same time
imagine a whole city
turned to ghosts overnight
imagine ten self-inflicted Dresdens
every year
imagine the aftermath
imagine the cleanup operation

except we shouldn't have to imagine
because it happens all the time
but it's hidden
it's quiet
because no one wants to talk
about our own worst enemy

Katagelastic

i am sorry
for all
the times i have sniggered
and made you feel
small

like
when i introduced you
to the right-click in Windows
and
when you pronounced quinoa
to rhyme with Minoa
and i laughed
in your face

there are hundreds
of other examples
but no one likes a poem that goes on

when it doesn't need to

so
simply
i'm sorry

Name

for Rita

i'm not sad
because she died.
i'm not even sad
she died choking
on her own phlegm.
i'm sad
she died
not knowing
who she was,
not knowing
her own name.