THE GREATEST DISEASE

I awoke, my tears were flowing and I could not

stop the sobs that were tearing from my soul.

Though it was mid-day, it was dark, it was always


dark. The sun was shining but darkness of the

heart obscured it’s rays. Mom was dying and while

it was not a necessary death, it was going to

happen. I was not thinking of myself, although I

knew I would not survive her passing. My sickened

soul was torn by the futility, the heartlessness

and great weight of unconcern. My siblings, great

Doctors, Scientists, and Priests among them

explained somatically, mathematically, and

ethically why it was going to happen, however, it

was still unnecessary. I was young, just the

blink of an eye, the ink of my birth certificate

not yet dry, I could not survive without my

mother, nor could they, but truth be known they

did not care. Yes, I had not historically great

years but even in my short tenure, I could see

the decline. The shine of her hair, the gleam in

her eyes all this was dulled and I knew the fluid

circulating through her system was poisoned. Her

breath had the stench of decay and they would not

stop her going away. It was cancer I was told,

insidious, unchecked, out of control. Yes they

knew the diagnosis, but their crime was, they

knew the cure and for this cancer it was not

harsh. No surgery, chemotherapy, and with

reasonable restraint no fear of reoccurrence, a

simple one hundred percent cure.

I sat looking out my window, the same window

I had been looking out for thirty years. It was

12X32” and very limited as to scenery, however,

it had been my only view of the world for so long

I cherished it as an old friend. One tree, from

seedling to maturity was my focus and as I

watched I knew today was the day. June 18th and

no birds were flitting on the branches, no

insects bumped my windowpane. One leaf,

misshapen, diseased, seeming to defy gravity as

it clung resolutely to it’s berth. Then, before

my eyes, a gust of wind and spinning in it’s

turmoil, the last leaf fluttered toward the

ground. It was though that leaf was a black hole

in the fabric of life, my thoughts and vision

tunneled into the dark vortex of it’s flight.

Downward and darker, downward and darker, it was

a formula of finality on which I flew.

Corporeally free, I was essence, a spirit set to

dissipate upon contact with the earth. So close

to being free, free from prison, pain, torment,

guilt and all the dark cloaks of my existence.

Oh, how I hungered for that surcease, oh, how I

hungered for that release. The terminus of

frustration at a world that did not care and my

laughter burst from me as Mom’s epitaph shimmered

through my consciousness: “HERE LIES MANKIND: Be

there a lapidary on stone can say? Here lies

mankind for their sins to pay. Their own Mother,

they took her life, pierced her heart with their

greedy knife. Poisoned her blood and flayed her

hide, then carelessly cast her treasures aside.

Oh, they wailed and how they cried on that dark

day their Mother died. Now their reason, that’s a

honey. They took her life for some money, now

they are dead and I think that is funny”. Madness

veiled in laughter, my tears splashed upon the

floor, I wakened from my reverie as keys rattled

in my door.

“Hello, Dave, how are ya today”.

“You know Jim I am real tired”.

“Look here Dave-uh ya know-well I am real sorry”.

“It’s today, right Jim”?

“Well ya see Dave we are the last and there is nothing left”.

“I’m ready Jim, but it would have been nice-uh meat-ah you know, I mean my last meal”.

“Now Dave that’s what I am saying, I saved enough for the last meal, well it has to be today”.

“Do you mean it Jim, its been two years since I had meat”.

“Ya know you were right Dave--we were cancer and we killed it all. Look I saved enough for two last meals and--uh I was wondering if we could--well I haven’t always treated you right, and”.

“Don’t say it Jim, I think it would be swell if we ate this meal together, I wouldn’t want to be alone”.

“That’s real decent of you Dave--ya know I’m the last guard so it will have to be in the food”.

“Jim I would eat razor blades if they were in meat, so lets get it done”.

“Alright Dave, I’ll be right back, everything is cooked--I’ll just get it”.

“Hey Jim maybe you could leave the door open--it doesn’t really matter anymore”.

“Yeah, yeah Dave I’ll do that--no it really doesn’t matter anymore”.

“Oh Jim, be sure to turn out the lights”.

“Dave we haven’t had lights for three years--oh I get it humor, still laughing, huh Dave”.

“Sure Jim--you know everything is exactly as it’s supposed to be”.

“How can you say that Dave--its all gone, everything, everybody, the world is dead”.

“Well it’s the truth, if you think about it Jim--considering the path we followed we are exactly where it led”.

1850=1BILLION, 1930=2 BILLION, 1975=4 BILLION, 1999=6 BILLION??? RIP K.I. SMET