a rush of ink
on the back of a bill,
thanking me
for taking care
of you
and your family.

i still have it —
it’s framed.

never meet your heroes,
they say.
but what if their art
scatters the darkness
we all try to navigate?

He was an actor who died at the age of seventy.
William died of complications from heart surgery.
He starred in over eighty television shows over the years.
This man chose to be a character actor, that was his career.
He starred on The Andy Griffith Show in 'Stranger In Town'.
He died over thirty years ago and he's buried in the ground.
He starred in 'Sanford and Son', 'Newhart' and 'Cold Steel'.
He also starred in an episode of 'The Trials of Rosie O'Neill'.
He starred in one episode of both 'Wonder Woman' and 'Amen'.
It's sad because William is dead and we will never see him again.

Just one year ago, he was alive and walking around.
But he passed away and he's buried in the ground.
He provided the voices of Daleks on the classic Doctor Who.
When people say he was a talented actor, it's certainly true.
When his life came to an end, it was a shame.
He was British and David Graham was his name.
When graham became an actor, he made it big.
He provided the voice of Grandpa on Peppa Pig.
When it comes to this man, I wish I could say that things are fine.
But I'm sorry to say that he died last year at the age of ninety-nine.

He was a wrestler but he died and he's gone for eternity.
He was a WWE Hall of Famer and he starred in Rocky III.
He had giant muscles and Hulk Hogan was his name.
He has perished and the WWE will never be the same.
Hogan was one hell of a wrestler and an actor as well.
This man had a terrific career, he was bound to excel.
Hogan had two children, he had a daughter and a son.
We've lost a wrestling icon at the age of seventy-one.

George Wendt was an actor and he starred in "Cheers".
He loved to sit on that stool and drink plenty of beer.
He starred in many shows and movies but will be best remembered as Norm Peterson.
He attended Jesuit Rockhurst College and graduated with a B.A. in economics in 1971.
After he lived for 76 years, we're saying goodbye.
He was a unique man and it was his time to die.
People were fortunate to be able to see him act.
When I say that he had talent and skill, it's a fact.

He brought laughter and he was important to many.
He died 50 years ago and his name was Jack Benny.
Mel Blanc appeared quite often on Jack's show.
At the age of eighty, it was Benny's time to go.
If Jack had died one day earlier, he would've died on Christmas Day.
He was a very talented individual who died half a century ago today.
Jack was an actor and it's an actor's job to pretend.
He went into a coma before he died and it was sad because it was the end.

Dear celebrity crush,
I wish that I could clone you
so I could have my own you,
my creepy devotion
would fill up an ocean

You died in 2023 and your dad died in 1977.
After living for 54 years, you went to Heaven.
You have lost your life and that is very sad.
Now you have been reunited with your dad.
You did charity work just like your father did.
Your dad loved you and you were his only kid.
As your fans grieve, they're sad and depressed.
Your life ended after you went into cardiac arrest.
When CPR was performed, your heart was restarted.
But you still died and your fans are broken-hearted.
You died a few weeks before you would've turned 55.
Your fans are devastated because you didn't survive.

In 1977, you starred in an episode of Doctor Who.
If you hadn't died, today you would've turned 82.
You starred in an episode of "Enemy At The Door".
You were a very talented actor but not anymore.
In 1989, you starred in "The Woman In Black".
Sadly, you died and you won't be coming back.
You starred in five episodes of "Coronation Street".
You starred in three hundred and fifty-five episodes of "Heartbeat".
In 1962, you starred in "Top Secret" and "Mystery Submarine".
Today would've been your birthday if you hadn't died in 2019.