Final Ride

The elevator took its time,

A long delay on 3

And when it hit the lobby,

This is what confronted me:

Two men, their arms all wrapped around 

What I believed to be

A covered piece of furniture,

As far as I could see.

I almost joked that it appeared 

To look like someone dead, 

But when I saw the stretcher,

Well, it filled my mind with dread.  

I turned around; the doorman

Caught my eye and shook his head.

The message got through clearly,

Though the details weren’t said.

I’ve lived there over 40 years

And other tenants died.

I’d never seen one take

That final elevator ride,