MY LIVING WILL & CODICIL

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MY LIVING WILL &ndash; CODICIL.<br />
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My living will I should update.<br />
As I&rsquo;ve become an ostomate.<br />
Now shit flows freely from my tum&rsquo;.<br />
And mucus oozes from my bum.<br />
--- Still! &ndash; while I can be happy &ndash; I will.<br />
<br />
But other things remain unchanged.<br />
So they need not be rearranged.<br />
I&rsquo;ll share with you my previous will.<br />
And add this as a codicil.<br />
--- And! &ndash; while I can be happy &ndash; I will.<br />
<br />
Bill Withers 2011<br />
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MY LIVING WILL.<br />
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My feet will sometimes hurt and swell Blood disappears from hands with ease.<br />
They have some ingrown nails as well. But this appears is Reynauds disease.<br />
Cold winter&#39;s wet I will avoid With bronchial blocks and weakening lung<br />
&#39;Cos all my joints are rheumatoid I guess ‑ I am no longer young.<br />
‑still ‑ while I can be happy ‑ I will. ‑still ‑ while I can be happy ‑ I will.<br />
<br />
Achilles tendons play up still My blood is thin, my heart will miss<br />
but they don&#39;t make me feel that ill. I even have a job to piss.<br />
It&#39;s pain from cramps that I compare Foul farts flow free ‑ and the baddest of<br />
to a thousand volts and umpteen ampere breath ‑<br />
‑still ‑ while I can be happy ‑ I will. force friends to flee or get gassed to<br />
death.<br />
Resolving the piles predicament. ‑still ‑ while I can be happy ‑ I will.<br />
Has left me quite incontinent.<br />
The stricture helps to keep shit in. Whilst I can THINK ‑ I&#39;ll not succumb.<br />
But splits and bleeds each time I&#39;ve been. To these things that I&#39;ve become.<br />
‑still ‑ while I can be happy ‑ I will. But if ever I lost my INNER‑drive<br />
I would not want to stay alive.<br />
Both knees and hips are giving way ‑still ‑ while I can be happy ‑ I will.<br />
and lower back, ‑ well what can I say<br />
Irritable bowel I can&#39;t abide I may meditate upon a sigh.<br />
For that pain comes when others subside. And contemplate a life gone by.<br />
‑still ‑ while I can be happy ‑ I will. If I leave this frail old frame.<br />
I would not want it back again.<br />
I often lose my sleep at night. ‑still ‑ while I can be happy ‑ I will.<br />
With broken ribs both left and right.<br />
I have to lie upon my back. Do not be sad for me my friend.<br />
‑ Snoring ensuring the insomniac. when I have come to mortal end.<br />
‑still ‑ while I can be happy ‑ I will. For I&#39;ll be glad I&#39;ve lived my life.<br />
With job, the dogs, the kids, the wife.<br />
When I eat I tend to bloat ‑still ‑ while I can be happy ‑ I will.<br />
And bile so vile sears to my throat.<br />
This makes it very red and raw. I want to make my feelings clear.<br />
So I don&#39;t eat as much therefore.In case my mind should disappear.<br />
‑still ‑ while I can be happy ‑ I will.Do not feed me, ‑ let me die.<br />
You should not need to ask me why.<br />
That ulcer of mine. ‑still ‑ while I can be happy ‑ I will.<br />
Remains doing fine.<br />
But the pain in my shoulder.<br />
Gets worse as I&#39;m older. I&#39;ve got my organ donor card.<br />
‑still ‑ while I can be happy ‑ I will.And though it may well be quite hard.<br />
When I depart, you can feel free.<br />
My teeth are always going wrong.To use the useful parts of me.<br />
I don&#39;t suppose I&#39;ll keep them long. ‑still ‑ while I can be happy ‑ I will.<br />
And glands within my neck swell up.<br />
Which makes it rather hard to sup.Further still ‑ If I can&#39;t be happy ‑ my will.<br />
‑still ‑ while I can be happy ‑ I will. (this is)<br />
<br />
My eyes have never been quite right<br />
And now my hearing&#39;s very slight. One other thing that may be wrong.<br />
My hair, though there ‑ is somewhatI forgot to say my memory&#39;s gone.<br />
symbolical.<br />
‑ Problems with roots and also the follicle.<br />
‑‑still ‑ while I can be happy ‑ I will.<br />
B. Withers. 1996<br />
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