3 upvotes, 1 direct replies (showing 1)
View submission: What’s a better alternative to a funeral?
I love this idea! It reminds me of the MASH episode where the army declares Hawkeye dead, so to cheer him up, the camp holds a wake, with an opportunity for people to express their thoughts and the "deceased" to give a rebuttal!
In a more somber vein, there's the Linda Pastan poem which follows.
"An Early Afterlife"
Why don’t we say good-bye right now In the fallacy of perfect health before whatever is going to happen happens.
We could perfect our parting, like those characters in *On the Beach* who said farewell in the shadow of the bomb as we sat watching, young and holding hands at the movies.
We could use the loving words we otherwise might not have time to say.
We could hold each other for hours in a quintessential dress rehearsal.
Then we could just continue for however many years were left.
The ragged things that are coming next— arteries closing like rivers silting over or rampant cells stampeding us to the exit— would be like postscripts to our lives and wouldn’t matter.
And we could bask in an early afterlife of ordinary days, impervious to the inclement weather already in our long-range forecast.
Nothing could touch us.
We’d never have to say good-bye again.
Comment by scooterboy1961 at 26/02/2025 at 15:15 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
The late, great Captain Pierce is one of the best episodes of the series.
Attention all personnel. Come one. Come all to a wake for the late, great Captain Pierce.
We'll be mourning all afternoon and evening.
The deceased will deliver the eulogy and the guests will have 20 minutes for rebuttal.
The remains to be seen at the Swamp.
And the telegram to his father is even better.
Dear Dad, I am not dead.
Stop.
Hope you are the same.
Stop.
Thinking of selling my clubs?
Stop.
Spending my insurance money?
Stop.