The Chill Of Death(Recitation by Charles Mingus)

The chill of death

as she clutched my hand

I knew she was coming

so I stood like a man

She drew up closer

close enough for me to look into her face and I began to wonder

"Hadn’t I seen her some other place?"

She beckoned me to come closer, as if to pay an old debt

I knew what she wanted

it wasn’t quite time yet

She threw her arms about me, as many women had done before

I heard her whisper, "you’ll never cheat me, never anymore."

Darkness and nothingness clouded my mind

I began to realize death was nothing to fear

but something sweet and kind

I pinched to see if I was dreaming but failed to find bodily form

I then began to realize death had worked her charm

Taking myself of nothingness I chose a road to walk

I noticed death’s pleasantness with no one to stop me to talk

I remembered stories of heaven as I envisioned the glory ahead

Two roads lay waiting for me to choose them now that I was dead

One road was dark; I could not see clearly such its long stretched highway

The other road was golden and glowing, and shined as bright as day

And I did remember stories of pearly gates, golden streets or how-however those stories were told

I knew I’d reach heaven on this highway. If not, I’d have the gold

I took one footstep feeling safe and acting bold

Suddenly, I realized my mistake.

My chosen road turned black, bitterly, and white cold

No longer was it golden glory, nor heaven that it's in

White hot flames were blazing, I saw the devil with his grin

I had taken but one footstep so I turned to hurry back

But there a sound more waited, not a door, nor a crack

Finally coming to my senses, I walked on to my hell

For long before death had called me

my end was planned

Planned

but well…