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Timothy Gager is the author of sixteen books of fiction and poetry. His latest, an Amazon #1 Best Seller, Poems of 2020, is his ninth of poetry. Timothy hosted the successful Dire Literary Series in Cambridge, Massachusetts from 2001 to 2018, and as a virtual series starting in 2020. Timothy was the co-founder of The Somerville News Writers Festival. He has had over 600 works of fiction and poetry published, of which seventeen have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. His work also has been nominated for a Massachusetts Book Award, The Best of the Web, The Best Small Fictions Anthology, and has been read on National Public Radio.

In The Obituary of Paul Felopulos

Timothy Gager

The hero turned a lifeboat around
As an in charge maître d’s order of rowing
toward a sinking ship were unsound

At eighteen you took over, crowned
yourself captain, no experience of knowing
ship suction, commanded the rowboat around

Back at two AM alarm sounded
Rousted you up, the tasks began growing
engine on fire, the Prisendam now unsound

Fifty people would jam a 28 seat boat, pulley downed
passenger’s unruly panic continued ongoing.
Yet the calm teen captain who’s not been around

25 foot waves, against a tiny boat pounded
for days and days their crests curled bowing
but no one now felt your leadership unsound

Then two days later rescue helicopters saw hope abound
Taking charge again, the survivors impatient in going
You controlled the uncontrollable rescue around

Two days after, everyone was safe aground
No less, life expectances reduced nor slowing
Paulie the hero, neither a word here unsound
He never told me this story while he was around

— Timothy Gager

 http://www.timothygager.com

http://timothygager.blogspot.com/

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