Great Expectations

In a deluxe coffin did he lie hands folded

The serenity of his lying in state belied

By the fixated smirk on his face

Having lived a full life on his own terms

In death too he scoffed at the world!

His numerous mourners

Gave him a royal send-off

His wake a well-attended affair

The city’s who’s who and hoi polloi

Milling at the funeral feast-

A veritable gourmet’s delight!

After all the eulogies

All the final goodbyes

After all the shed tears

The kith and kin remained

Hands in the pockets rolled into fists

Hiding the nervousness

Of their great expectations!

Finally the attorneys arrived

The Croesus’s will to be read

The hush of silence could be cut with a knife

The bated breath was let out in a  Unified sigh of relief

Now all ears were straining to catch every gem

That emanated from the mouth of the attorney

Excitement and expectations rose in a crescendo

And then there was pin drop silence……

The rich dead man had left all his worldly goods

To his battery of servants with the stipulation

That they continue to live in his mansion

And attend to his numerous pets and stables

His well appointed residence would be opened to public

And all his kith and kin could come and stay au gratis

Because that is all he owed them

Nothing more, nothing less

They were crestfallen and shaken

Some had foolishly borrowed money

Against their great expectations

And now were in a bind

The old man who had lived

From 1900 – 1989

Had in summation

Lived up to his dash-

The period between his

 birth and death

At his owns terms

In his own way

Signing out with a

Flourish!!

We inherit from our ancestors gifts so often taken for granted… Each of
 us contains within… this inheritance of soul. We are links between the ages,
 containing past and present expectations, sacred memories and future promise.
Edward Sellner

originally published@
www.binaguptapoetry.com