If I Should Die – A Poem

If I Should Die by Karl Forehand

If I should die, don’t hire a pastor
To tell people how great that I am,
Don’t take me to church to bid me adieu
It is about me and it’s for you.

If I should die, don’t throw a big party
Don’t pretend like we don’t need to heal,
Cry if you need to and feel what you feel
It’s really the best way to rebuild.

If I should die, down search for a hymn
It doesn’t have to be mellow or snappy,
Just cue up some soul like Dylan you know
And close your eyes and be happy.

If I should die, let them say a good word
Let them tell what they liked about me,
Don’t quote from the book or say prayers
Just ask them to be real and have peace.

If I should die, don’t let them say things
That would make me break out in a frown
Don’t let them say God has a purpose,
Or worse yet that I’m looking down.

If I should die, say religion is dead
Don’t ascribe to politics either,
We don’t need to be in organized church,
We depend on the party of neither.

If I should die, tell pastors I said
To all find a job and be normal,
Give the cash to those that are poor
Their deal can be real, but not formal.

If I should die, say hell is not real
And The Satan is naught but an image,
We really don’t need to worry or fear
Retribution is made up and vintage.

If I should die, say what matters most
Is most likely love and compassion,
They’re the hope we have of getting right
And linked with the way we are fashioned.

If I should die, say it matters a lot
To be authentic and be present,
Be where you are and be who you are
It’s the mission each one possesses.

If I should die, I hope that they will
Learn to value and trust what they feel,
If they do the hard work of looking inside
In the long run, they’ll find what is real.

If I should die, say “God is not man”
We can’t just make Him in our image,
It’s more likely that we are OF God
And he is the one that we mimic.

If I should die, teach them to care
For the person that should matter more,
It’s okay to heal and rest and restore,
You are the first one you should care for.

If I should die, before I awake,
I’m not worried where that I will go,
Find your peace on the journey ahead
And discover your personal flow.