Response to Fleur Adcock’s “Things”

The Bigger Heist

death is one of the biggest heists
you are told to sleep and rest in peace
and still assumed to be an angel
expected to watch over those you left
and there’s this tale of heaven and hell
one based on a belief that no one can tell
and men will perfectly chew your deeds
assumptions and truth are like teeth and tongue
everybody dances naked or half-naked in the market square
and there are several interpretations to what the gong will say
there’s really no rest so long as you’ve lived
a dead man is spoken of at the thought of his face

Tomide Abdul