My Last Confession

My Last Confession

There will come a day
When the bones are brittle,
I, like in the olden age
Will lay in my final bed,
My family, my friends, my world
Will gather round,
The tradition says, I
Confess my wicked ways,
And when I am gone,
The sin-eater will come
Eat my iniquity in the bowl and bread
Set my soul trespass free
The ancient way.
And here is what I will say,
On my last day.

Oh, I have been a lover of you all
My heart has burst
the best and worst of news,
but I confess
I have loved like a puppy
That cannot wag his tail.
Danced for you like Frankenstein
Guided with a bruised reed
That held a sagging line but quickly broke
I thought I spoke the truth in love
But could not speak my love in truth
And when I lied,
It was to hide a chicken heart
Like now, this last confession,
Only part
But, I’m in my prime,
Good thing
I need more time
To think of what to say
On my last day.

http://www.logoi.com/notes/sin-eaters.html

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/life/Life_Events/Death_and_Mourning/Dying/Viddui_Confession_.shtml