"Don't Be Surprised by My Death"

After my last breath,
Praise Allah, and
Pray for me.
For I was a Free Man
In a great land
Shrouded with the utmost dignity.

"There aren't very many of those ol' dudes left,"
Would be a triumphant funereal refrain
For my decomposing brain, now, bereft of trivia,
Zealously tallying up my Charity.

I'm Blessed to still be here because
I caught pneumonia not long after my birth.
It went into prolonged bronchitis at around 2 or 3
And, eventually, breath sapping asthma attacks
And, emergency room quick fix insulin shots at 6.

Asthma, my foul friend; I've become accustomed to
Your endless weight on my chest -
Whether after 10 mile runs or even at rest,

You are always handicapping my best.

I've never had a serious scuffle,
Yet, I've disarmed crowds of angry people
With no lethal force.
Some of the worst killers
Put their pistols away, so they could hear what I had to say.

'Cause on the flip side I was teaching them to Pray,
So, Allah (S.W.A.), as promised,
Keeps sending angels my way
Like when I was nose to nose with an East Coas' Crip
About something trivial. Gave him a  precautionary put down
Shamed him in front of his own convict crowd
In the same week when he committed a robbery and mass murder of 4.

Then, 2 days later killed 2 more in another robbery
But, between the 2 mass murders, that Sunday morning, my hot water tank
Caught some laundry afire, and Spud risks his life to put out the fire.
Close call for me and all of my family.

The crazy 90 mph car wreck at 19 was the closest I have been to death.
But, Allah saved me, against all odds. At least a month of coma,
Fleeting consciousness, and drugged sleep.
Then, oral surgeries, facial and body scars
Before going back to drunken driving and near death wrecks.

Then, being drafted -Basic Training, Advanced Individual Training,
and Officer's Candidate School before Vietnam.
What sustained me was Allah (S.W.A.) - I was calling Him Christ back then.
And, I was reading The Gospel which strengthened my resolve
To avoid killing or being killed; do not drop my guard.
Avoid all opportunities to die in the air assaults, ambushes, driving jeep on recon,
Any good chances to be a common statistic.

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