before their time
it’s a fine line
your lot
give or take
plus or minus
right place at the right time
or conflictingly
the proverbial wrong one
it’s not just where & when
or by whom
it’s every single turn
accumulating
always introducing
the next scenario
a soldier in a jungle
a runaway on an airliner
a widowed grandmother
saying the rosary
in an otherwise empty chapel
those able to dodge
the constant barrage
of gunfire
& accusations
the lines on their faces
multiply & deepen
[over the passing years]
a reflection
of the many
taken before their time
february two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
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