It’s Someone’s Job
Janet Kuypers
06/10/11
it’s someone’s job
to stitch the eyes and lips
of a corpse up
it’s someone’s job
to take a generic beige powder and concealer
to give my friend the color of life
it’s someone’s job
to trim the facial hair
that extrudes after death
it’s someone’s job
to style a corpse’s hair
so it still looks like the one you love
it’s not my job
to think of these things
when you’re the one in the coffin
it’s not fair
that we see the powder along your face
that we see the powder on your hands
is also on your nails
it’s not right
to see you like this
why must we make you up this way?
it’s not the way you lived
and this shouldn’t be you
after you died
it’s someone’s job
to staple you shut,
to make you look more alive
it’s someone’s job
to cosmetically placate our fears
to make us not see
what your body has become
it’s someone’s job
to keep out fantasy going
because even though you’ve stopped living
we can’t cope with your dying
Copyright © 2011 Janet Kuypers.
All rights reserved. No material
may be reprinted without express permission.
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