1971 Poetry by Michael F. Nyiri

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"On Gazing at Gravestones"

Each one
Had something to do
Each one
Did it
The old man sired a family of twelve
Though half of them died before him
He had the satisfaction of the gratitude
They bore him.
The young woman committed suicide
When her young husband died in the war
Yet she served as a tragic example
For her younger sister who almost made the same mistake.
The twelve year old boy died of leukemia
But in his twelve years he gained
Maturity that most men only dream of.
The housewife never nagged
She helped a man reach success
And saw her children become
Upstanding human beings because of her.
They all,
Each one
Had something to do.
Each one 
Fulfilled something
And life was made worthwhile.

1971

copyright 2001 by Michael F. Nyiri
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