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I faced the face of death before
beyond a warped, unbolted door,
across that splintered, creaky floor,
I faced the face of death before,
then stared into its yawning maw,
so well-described in ancient lore,
I faced the face of death before,
and from its sharpened talon claw,
my name on a paper scrap I tore,
I faced the face of death before,
with mouth agape and slackened jaw,
and swiftly locked that bowed-out door.
As my 50th approaches
August 1996