14 Funerals



The first one to go,
was uncle joe,
destitute and alone,
he died with cancer in the bone

The second to depart,
was cousin Mark,
he didn‘t deserve it,
but he was never smart.

The third to walk the plank,
was my father hank,
on the bottom of a bottle,
fleeing demands from the bank.

The fourth to leave,
was my mother Mayheave,
going on her own,
to lessen her grief.

The fifth one that left,
was my brother Clef.
He wanted to live,
but his fate was death.

The sixth one hurt most,
it was my lover rose.
The driver was drunk,
they smashed into a post.

The seventh that went out,
was my cousin scout.
I wasn‘t hurt no more,
when he drowned off the shore.

The eight was too soon,
alone in his room,
my son Jeff,
was denied his last breath

The ninth died alone,
my grampa Malone.
I wish I could care,
but my heart is a stone.

The tenth left to late,
it was my brother Nate.
shot in the chest,
by the people he did hate.

Eleven, twelve, thirteen,
Barry, John, and Eileen.
The drugs were fake,
they would never awake.

And now theres only me,
alone in the dark.
An empty chest,
a hole in my heart.

Had god left me,
or was he never there,
it doesn‘t matter,
no more prayers I can spare.

For what am I,
but a man shape hole,
A gaping wound,
where there once was a soul.

The world lay barren,
no more blue and green.
I cannot wait,
to be number fourteen.

About this poem

I wrote this poem as a reflection on the death of my grandpa last year. He is the first loved one I lost, and Im still not sure I processed his death. It scares me to think that there will only be more of this in the future. This poem is a reflection on the death of everyone you love, and what is left after. It is also the first poem I wrote that im willing to share.

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Written on June 04, 2023

Submitted by bruno.zagner on September 04, 2023

1:41 min read
43

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABB CDXC EEXE FFBX XGXH IXXI JJKK XXGH BBLB MMNM OOPP QDNC QLXL XRXR XOMO
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 1,362
Words 338
Stanzas 15
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Bruno Zagner

I am a programmer from Germany with no background in literature or poetry. I write for myself, as a way to reflect. There isn‘t anything special or interesting about me, im just a guy living his life. (Also forgive me for picking an unfitting poetic form, I have no Idea tbh) more…

All Bruno Zagner poems | Bruno Zagner Books

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1 Comment
  • Laffy'sGirl
    I read all 150 poems and pinned 3 of them. This was the first I pinned, although it has some disconcerting variations in its rhythm and rhyme. It struck me because I can relate to the sentiment of feeling like a man-shaped hole after losing 13 loved ones in successive 
    LikeReply6 months ago

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"14 Funerals" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/170299/14-funerals>.

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