Immortalize

Immortalize
by Vincent Cooper
You hung up your wings
took a sharp left
there was no panic in your heart
as you opened the door to exit
You hunched over the edge
your life was too short to remember that much
and that canvas hundreds of feet below – momentarily
will be the final painting of your collection
When you fall you will recall
your corruptive way of life
your pawned reality
and your children created out of spite
Cheap whiskey afternoon delights
Soggy plays with complete unknowns
Dia De los pinche muertos
and how you always knew you would die alone
We will immortalize you and talk about you while
sipping Starbuck’s house coffee
and in the bite of a blueberry muffin
the subject will change
We’ll eat mom’s homemade tortillas without flinching
and she’ll still praise her most prized failure
the glorious splatter of your blood hitting the ground
and the sadness of a boyhood smile that never endured
The others will know that you made it in by default
It was me who did not let you be forgotten or become insignificant
Someday you will acknowledge it
You were the Earth of the Salt.
When my 21-gun salute commences…watch out…they’ll be aiming at you.