I only said I love you once,
one early morning while you slept.
I was quiet so as not to wake you;
I said it softly, then I left.

I wasn't sure I meant it then;
if I loved, I did so badly,
to let it wait until the day
that I could only say it sadly.

Sometimes I notice
when flags fly half mast
and mostly ignored
by the people who pass,
but lately I wonder
about who has died,
the families who loved them
and how much they cry,
or don't cry for that matter
maybe they smile
all the while anticipating
a big fat insurance check.
Some mourn the loss,
some mourn the life,
others anticipate.