Little Cousin of Big Death

Deep brown eyes look into mine
Only about a foot away
"Breathe deeply"
A baritone voice says

I feel like doing anything but

But I do
After all I did surrender myself
Allow myself to be trussed to this table
With so many wires and tubes

Just another piece of meat for the butcher
With only one thing left to do

"C'mon, count backwards for me
From one hundred"
That voice is very insistent
Though I cannot see the mouth
It's as if the deep brown eyes themselves are talking
"I'll count with you now
Bet you can't make it to one"

I think the eyes smiled at that
Happy little crows feet danced upon their edges

There was nothing left but to go along with the show really
So I started counting with the eyes with the voice
"One hundred, ninety-nine, ninety-eight, ninety-seven....."

The little death snuck up on me
Stealing the memory of how far down I got to count
Burying me in wet woolly sheep
All equally as dead as me
Pushing me down as down can go
Holding me there

While the butchers earned their coin
Slicing me up to the highest bidder
Trying to make certain that I could carry on
At least long enough to pay my bill