Don Mitchell

Today Is Thanksgiving, and I Am Dead

Are there clouds in the sky?
if so, i suppose
I am
alive
for the time being,
seeing robins and woodpeckers and
sparrows squawk and peck

Is a sweet savory gala painted red?
if so, i suppose
i am not
dead
for now, however,
as leaves of green quickly turn to brown
the passage of time is imminent

Am I truly deserving of love?
if so, i suppose then
a flock of turtle doves
flutter through the wind in midsummer
where i walk with my beloved,
covered in
petals of rose marigold and daffodil

Is my frail body at last cold and still?
if so, i suppose
it is
God's will.
shed no tears Today
by now i am long forgotten,
rotten in the dampest dirt
where fresh beets and berries may grow
every year
you shall feast from its harvest
and be thankful.

Don Mitchell is a Black American poet and performer currently writing in Ellenwood, GA.