all the dark walnutbrown had gone out of his hair

it was just a matter of time

he was grateful though

many people he knew didnt live long enough to see the colour pass out of their heads

they died with the shock they were born with

it was a coin-toss between the surprises and those who begged-for-it

his sympathies were always aroused by the surprises 

                                                       the Why thems

and stopping to think for a moment

regrettably 
            
he recalled more Why thems than otherwise

and crawling steely in through the back gate

                                               Only the good die younghe hated that adage

but by what he knew to be true  they did

his best friend

his wife

his brother

his sister

they were on one handhe didnt count his thumbhe didnt extend his other hand to be numbered  

                                                                                                      he  shut  it  down

however they were there  

                           but he preferred setting them to one side  remember them as they washed up on the surf of his memory

the four on one hand was more than enoughmore than enough for him to contemplate  

happily he would have exited in their stead if his life hadnt its own course

             

1542,  Saturday,  1  6. 19