Safe & Well

My last words unheard, my cold hand unheld
How long had it been since I drew my last breath?
But days must still dawn and coffers need swelled
The meeting of targets, unhindered by death
Demands overflowed while the seasons all turned
Bikes blocked my doorway all day
The gasman's last warning faded and sunburned
Children and music still played

But my neighbors could see, my neighbors could smell
They flicked away maggots and flies
They pled with our landlords, told all they could tell
Something, or someone had died
But nobody came

Hundreds of emails and messages left
I could not reply and no flags were raised
Nobody missed me, no friend was bereft
Police rang the bell once but soon left unfazed

As my heart decomposed, a pandemic was tamed
Everyone lived behind doors
Temperatures rose, the world was in flames
Fiends and fanatics fought wars

And then the storm came, blew open my door
Revealing what neighbors had known
Bones and dust in pyjamas, my husk on the floor
A life lived and ended alone
And then they all came

Can you hear me through your wall?
Can you smell my cooking?
Can you see my clothes dry on the line?
Are you even looking?
How can you say I'm safe and well?
Can you hear me praying?
All boxes ticked and paperwork filed
As life goes on decaying