A Case for Cremation
For years now cremation has appealed
to me as the way to go,
a practical leaving.
One's bones do not clutter
an already crowded planet.
One's grave presents
no mystery to citizens
of the twenty-second century:
who was this man, what world views
did he offer, and why
did he select a granite stone?
Granite is permanent; life passes.
Certainly if one chooses cremation
no burial place exists
that might alarm
if grave space was needed
for a new subdivision,
no worry of poltergeists.
But something in me wants a grave,
the same part of me
that saves copies
of tax returns for thirty years.
Just in case I need them
these bones will be there.
© 2014 J. Paul Holcomb
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