Do Not Go–Easy Into the Night

someone once wrote, and whispered,
as perhaps a warning
to wet eyes left behind.
why not? I mutter.
why not?
I know three who did,
without fuss or turmoil,
and now, their arms
are linked
as they casually saunter,
side by side,
toward a distant light.
as their voices fade away
I know
the outdoorsman is talking about
hunting and fishing,
the world traveling poet
is telling again
about the pitfalls of humanity
vs. the environment,
and the city man entrepreneur
chuckles as he shares
another risque joke for
male ears,
unscrubbed, unfettered,
and all totally free
of last minute things to do

–Joyce Metzger