A Long March | A 100 Word Story

#340 National Poetry Month – 30 Days 30 Poems

The funeral march began at dawn
Pallbearers numbered six in all
Stood shoulder to shoulder
A casket between them

No one knew who was inside
A death less important than the journey
Down the streets where all could see
They marched and marched endlessly

Everyone joined in time
The children mimicking their adults
The adults mimicking their ancestors
Of a ritual not long forgotten or fully remembered

Until the sun began to set
And whispered glances watched—waited
For the moment when the casket’s opened
Whoever’s inside left with a decision

Rise and face the world alone
Or return home