The empty chair

Standing by the balcony railing

His health was rapidly ailing 

Admiring the spectacular view

Picking out the spots that he knew

Recalling the happy times he spent there

As he sampled the cool morning fresh air

Every breath calming his mind

Accepting he would soon leave this all behind

Not wanting to linger and whither away

He decided that this was his final day

Stepping onto the empty chair

Over the railings and flying through the air

Eyes closed as he accepted his fate

Time slowed down and made him wait

Confused and perplexed as he opened his eyes

Looking at his bedroom ceiling in surprise

Things are not always as they seem

It was all a vivid technicolor dream

He quickly stepped out of bed

Images of the balcony view filled his head

He stepped outside to see the same view

Picking out the spots he knew

Recalling the happy times he spent there

Next to the railing was an empty chair

Suicide jumping toast

I like toast in the morning

With butter and jam

Washed down with a hot cup of tea

Real comfort food

Reminds me of my childhood

There is however one problem

Mornings are often rushed

Dashing between rooms to get ready

Plate in hand with toast

Inevitably the toast slides off the plate

Like a suicide jumper from a high rise

The toast always somersaults mid dive

So that it lands butter and jam side down

He usually lands on the carpet

Making more mess that a human suicide jumper

My hungry stomach cries foul

I yell a string of obscenities 

Jam oozes deep into the carpet fibers

This drama has been going on for decades

I decided it was time to end it

After hours of inventive thoughts

Lots of googling research

And many failed kitchen science experiments

I finally solved this age old problem

I put a piece of kitchen paper on the plate

Before laying the hot toast on top

Thanks to the laws of physics

The toast can no longer slide off

No more toast suicide jumping

It worked great the first few times

I enjoyed my toast while getting dressed and checking emails

Multitasking big bites of toast without even looking

But suddenly the toast tasted really weird

The leaking butter had glued the paper to the toast

I was chewing paper towel stuck to my toast

Back to the drawing board

The suicide jumping toast lives and dies again