obituary blues

she got them obituary blues---
you know, where she get up in the morning &
opens up that newspaper
just to see who died today?
she just needs to know.
she needs to know how much more alone she is
today,
than the day before,
so she can have something to complain about
something to worry about---
one more thing to dwell upon
to make her own life grow
that much shorter,
until she all shrinks away.

she’s got dem obituary blues &
you know the type,
can’t really tell her age but she’s too old to care---
she’ll be the first to give advice
but the last one you’ll listen to,
and at the end of the day,
she’s probably always right
because there’s nothing else left to be.

and like they say
just because you’re paranoid,
don’t mean that there ain’t someone right round the
corner,
waiting to pop you in the head,
the same logic is appropriate
every morning that she gets up, gets her paper &
looks for more dead friends,
more dead relatives---
you see, she thinks that if she is always on the lookout
that she will be the last to go.