Alene Terzian
Alene Terzian received and M.A. and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing with an emphasis in poetry. Her first book, Deep as City’s Ache, explores the Lebanese Civil Conflict both environmentally and psychologically. She is currently working on her second collection while teaching English at College of the Canyons. Besides teaching, she is also the advisor of COC’s literary magazine called cul-de-sac, which will be unveiled on May 29th.


Famous Last Words

Alexander Graham Bell’s last word was, “No,”
when his wife asked him not to leave her.
“I’m sorry from the bottom of my heart,”
is what the first man who died
of lethal injection said seconds before the rush.
With deference, John Wayne Gacy
told his executioner to kiss his ass.
James Brown said, “I’m going away tonight”
and died with one eye open.  After seeing headlights
in the distance, James Dean said, “He’ll see us…”
While being dragged through the streets of Sirte,
Gaddafi said,  “What you are doing is forbidden
by Islam!” Groucho Marx said, “Die, my dear? Why,
that’s the last thing I’m going to do.”
Joan Crawford scolded her praying maid,
“Damn it…Don’t you dare ask God to help me.”
Nostradamus, in his last prediction said, 
“Tomorrow, I shall no longer be here.”
Chris Farley shouted, “Please don’t leave me,”
to the prostitute running out the door.
Salvador Dali asked, “Where’s my clock?”
Edith Piaf said to her sister, “Every last thing
you do in this life, you pay for.” On his way
to the bathroom, Elvis’s fiancé warned him
not to fall asleep in there, and he said, “Okay,
I won’t.” Before facing a firing squad, James Rodgers
was asked if he wanted anything. He said, “Yes,
a bullet-proof vest.” Oscar Wilde said, “Either
the wallpaper goes, or I do,” Pancho Villa
and Emiliano Zapata both said, “Tell them I said something.”
 And on the way to the hospital, when police asked,
“Are you John Lennon?” he replied, “Yes, I am.”



 


© 2015 Alene Terzian
Alene Terzian was a Featured Poet who read her poetry at the July 2015 Second Sunday Poetry Series