i walk through the graveyard,
   subtracting birth from death dates
      to determine age at death.

there’s a correlation between 
   speed of calculation &
      the degree of tragedy.

the faster i can determine an age,
   the more disconcerting the death:
      like the girl — 1990 to 2008.

the 89 year old man who survived WWII
   service in the Burmese jungle
      doesn’t raise as many questions.