Lewis Leicher
by Nocturne
I hate it when my house makes strange noises
late at night. I’m too old for random sounds
to make my heart race – it’s the ghost stories
about possible causes that bother me:
burglars trying to pry a ground-floor window;
the initial twitch before a quake hits;
a rodent checking in at the Front Desk.
Then I’m pushed beyond the rules we all use
to stay safe without much conscious effort.
When Death comes to my door, whether tonight
or some tomorrow, I’ll offer Him sweet tea
and talk about my family history
(giving me time to tidy up before I go).
Some people believe they’d prefer if He
snuck up on them. But for me, that would mean
I just wasn’t listening carefully enough.
Lewis Leicher has returned to Poetry now that he has retired after an almost 40-year break (for which Poetry has not yet forgiven him). During that break, he worked as an attorney, including for almost 20 years as a member of WebMD's Legal Department. He has lived in San Diego since 2001 and, before that, lived in and around New York City for most of his life.