Deathcamps

A trailer hookup
With conveniences
Brought the illusion of comfort

But being on the road
Destroyed the warmth of escape
And the joy of being somewhere else

We set out on our journey thinking
That our life was important
And that we were important too

After a lifetime of following the beaten path
To the waiting rooms of Arizona

When you reach a certain image
You begin to understand
That death is the next big thing in your life
Then it hits you, like an diseased lover

A waiting room is the place you spend the time
That you have left before you die

No more Doctors anymore
Death camps for 'snow birds'
Where Still Life is acclaimed as Life still

Every year the regiment becomes routine
A game of cards with the boys
Or some gossip with the girls
And a trip to Wal-Mart to break the monotony

Keeping track of time is deceptively easy
Friday night is the dance (until 10pm)
And Monday is the Blood Pressure Clinic

Everything else is free time
Paid for by a lifetime
Of sacrifice and servitude

The 'hot tub' rules are clearly posted
Rubber pants are encouraged

No one under 18 is allowed
No one with diapers
No one with open sores or infections

Uniformity without uniforms
Is the casual order of the day
One day bleeds into another
With one season and not much reason

Each rig in a tiny spot
Crowded by Neighbours on all sides
Surrounded by brick walls
And a 24 hour sentry at the gate

No lawns or green space
Mostly concrete parking spaces
The size of cemetery plots

Fear is a great time filler
Fear of everything on the news
And fear of everything different
Becomes the conversation of the day

The men always talk about their rig
Or about the sunny warm weather
And how cold it is back home

The women always talk about pets and children
or about the sunny warm weather
and how cold it is back home

A lingering smile is sometimes an invitation
And sometimes a judgment
Of a sterile life without effort or result

It doesn’t tell the lies
A life has taken to escape
Or to be rooted in a home with wheels

When hope was a possibility
And death didn’t have a lineup