stalker

truly
we are never alone
mankind’s oldest stalker
follows closer
than our own shadows

watching my every move
counting every breath i take
hoping for the worst
when i close my eyes and
cringing every time i wake

death stalks us all
creeping
calculating
waiting
to claim its next

i almost died today
it was so close
that i stopped to think
about the vulnerabilities of being human
about mortality
and how we ignore that guy
in the black gown with a scythe

i smiled at him
he shrugged
smiled
and shook his head

not yet
not yet