Roger McGough (1937-present) is an English poet from Liverpool who performs his poems publicly. A teacher and a lecturer in his early life, he was also a successful pop singer along with John Gorman and Mike McGear in a trio.
Let me die a youngman's death
not a clean and inbetween
the sheets holywater death
not a famous-last-words
peaceful out of breath death
When I'm 73
and in constant good tumour
may I be mown down at dawn
by a bright red sports car
on my way home
from an allnight party
Or when I'm 91
with silver hair
and sitting in a barber's chair
may rival gangsters
with hamfisted tommyguns burst in
and give me a short back and insides
Or when I'm 104
and banned from the Cavern
may my mistress
catching me in bed with her daughter
and fearing for her son
cut me up into little pieces
and throw away every piece but one
Let me die a youngman's death
not a free from sin tiptoe in
candle wax and waning death
not a curtains drawn by angels borne
'what a nice way to go' death
Roger McGough
This speaks to a lot of us, that desire to go out with a bang, rather than a whimper. Who wants to go through the pearly gates in a wheelchair with tubes in your nose? This poem, besides being tremendously humorous, speaks to our deep fears about aging and dying in obscurity, dying infirm. Who wants to live the last of their life confined to a bed, limping alone? The desire to go out in a blaze of glory is ancient and worldwide.
I hope you enjoyed it.