Are you dead yet?

a poem by Elaine E. Howie

I keep waiting for that call,
I see you in my dreams as you fall
I pray everynight that the drugs,
Don’t win the fight.
Lord I try and I cry,
I weep more then I sleep.
Are you dead yet?
They’ve taken all your children away; the state’s got them they say
I can’t get them I am to old,
That is what I have been told
Are you dead yet?

They called me last night,
Said you’d been in another fight
All I could do was ask if you were all right
I stayed there for a while looking at the phone,
Wishing I could take my tired bones and go home
Are you dead yet?
They told me your were in jail,
And had the nerve to ask me to make your bail
I slammed that phone down so hard,
And just cried oh Lord, oh Lord
Now I know I wasn’t that wise,
But Lord knows I had tried
Are you dead yet?

They said you had stolen a car
But didn’t get to far
You crashed into a wall
Because of all the drugs and alcohol
I rushed to be by your side
Yes again you had survived
Are you dead yet?

I pray for others now,
Yes that you don’t kill them somehow,
I can’t take this much more
But you don’t care I am sure
Yes I have heard all those sweet promises before
I knew you needed other support
Are you dead yet?
You see I am very tired, and I need to know
Are you dead yet?
So that I can die
In peace again
The End

For my sisters / brothers I pray