sober people
who analyse and conclude
are being asked
what they think his legacy will be.
Mostly they say that he’s been there.
For a long time.
He was there a long time.
Then he lived for a long time.
Then he stopped living.
That was after a long time.
The media sages
agree that this is significant.
We were born
and then…er…there were computers.
Then some of us died.
But he was there.
Until he died.
But before that
he was doing a lot of being there.
They agree that this is the legacy.
Someone suggests that they’re not sure
that if he’s not there anymore
and not being there
then the legacy might not be there either.
Then they remembered that she’s there.
That’s good.
She’s there,
she’s being there.
That feels a lot better.
Everyone’s glad that she’s there.
But then someone remembers
there might be a time
when she’s not there.
There’s a moment’s silence
while people try to take that in.
There’s a sense of fear
about how we will cope if that happens.
How will we be able to go on.
Maybe we will go on
because sages help us.
They will explain
how we cope because they are there.
We just come and go.
Mortals.
Being mortal.
But they are there forever.
It’s like touching God.
(I glance at the clock.
This has been going on for the time
it’s taken me to leave the room
write some letters
go to the loo
and come back.)
They conclude.
I feel bathed in the glory of something.
It must be the holy grail.
I put a slightly aged hot cross bun
in the microwave.
15 seconds.
One HCB salvaged.
Delicious.