Anesthetized or Dead

I must have been dumb

Now feeling numb

Lying prostrate

Unconscious yet awake

Local anesthetic

Or better rendered: loco

I was skeptical at first

But now I know

The first was no problem

The second I pondered

The third was puzzling

The fourth I wondered

It was staggering

When the fifth occurred

Then the sixth

And the lines were blurred

Seven, eight and nine

In very quick time

Followed by a pause

Then ten and eleven chimed

It is now at nineteen

There’s little life left

I must confess

I am close to my death

You’ll find me in the Bible

Thirty-one times

I act more or less

As a warning chime

 

My death is prophesied

In 1st Timothy 4 and verse 2

You can go to that chapter

And take in the view

You will find my name

In verse number two

I accompany everybody

Including you

Check yourself now

See if I am dead

That is a real possibility

But I may be anesthetized instead

Whichever the twain

I am not feeling a thing

I don’t care if you are sad

Or even if you sing

I am calloused by now

I have been so seared

No feelings right now

I have no fear

Oops, sixteen and seventeen

Came pretty soon

They’ll soon forget it

After the initial swoon

You see I do not function

As I did before

In the heat of the time

My sensors are poor

I can do most anything

Without batting a lid

I am far more brazen now

When before I hid

Nineteen is upon us

Less than a quarter gone

Nineteen that didn’t live

To see the next dawn

I could be dead

Or just anesthetized

Do some introspection

And then decide

 

Seared with a hot iron

As described in the Word

I am sure you know me

I am sure you have heard

If by now you don’t know

Conscience is my name

Check to see if I am asleep

In that case I’m just lame

But if you can’t check

It’s something else instead

I regret I must announce

Your conscience is dead

Anesthetized or dead

Now you can tell

If you are dysfunctional

Or if you are well

If I am anesthetized

There is hope for you

But if I am dead

Then you are too.

Stewart Russell © March 2019