Ode to a Casket/Abigail Best

It wasn’t like the world would come to an end 
Or like the cob-webbed grandfather clock in the hall would 
Stop ticking 

It wasn’t as if his classmates would stop doing their homework 
Or as if they would give up on the windy, dewey 
Friday night lights 

It wasn’t like his parents would stop sharing dry kisses 
Over freeze burnt pizzas covered in 
Black olives 

It wasn’t as if anyone would notice his absence 
Their lives would go on as normal 

But what he didn’t think about 
Were the tiny black ties and little black dresses 
That his nieces and nephews would wear, not knowing exactly why 

He didn’t think about the chair that would be empty 
In all of the classrooms he should’ve been in 
That his classmates find themselves staring at as the lecture drones on 

He didn’t think about his mother’s heartache 
When she would pass by his empty room on her way to bed 
And slowly shut the door so she wouldn’t have to look at it anymore

He thought that the world would keep on spinning 
And it did 
But his small world stopped 

And everyone felt it 

---

Abigail Best‘s poem earned an Honorable Mention in our 2022 Literary Awards. Abigail is a 2022 graduate of St. Norbert College with a bachelor’s degree in English. After graduating, she accepted a job at Kohler Co. as a customer service representative and is currently learning the in and outs of the industry. Abigail enjoys reading, writing, and all things true crime in her spare time.