Emily Dickinson - There's Been A Death In The Opposite House

From The Star:

PETALING JAYA: Former Supreme Court Judge Tan Sri Mohamed Yusoff Mohamed passed away at 4.20pm at the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital after suffering a stroke Wednesday.

Mohamed Yusof, who was 81, left behind a wife and six children.

According to his son Harmy, 43, Mohamed Yusof had suffered a severe stroke while travelling home from Kuala Terengganu and slipped into a coma on Feb 21.

“We have lost the rock in our family as he had always held all of us together. He taught us very well.

“Because of him, three of us followed in his footsteps and became lawyers,” he said.

Harmy, who has a private legal practice, said his mother Puan Sri Rosita Harisun and his siblings were with Yusof when he passed away.

Mohamed Yusoff served as a High Court Judge between 1974 and 1988 and was elevated to the Supreme Court before retiring in 1992.

He had also previously served as state secretary in Terengganu, and as legal advisor to the Selangor state government.

He was also chairman and director to several public listed companies, including Berjaya Group Bhd.

The cortege will leave their residence at 10, Lorong Titiwangsa 2 in Taman Tasik Titiwangsa for the Muslim cemetery at 10am Thursday.

While I turning into a small lane that leads to my house I saw many cars parked outside a house at the opposite road. Then when I started finding the latest news, I saw this piece.

When I was in school, this poem was one of the literature pieces taught for English SPM. The poem reminded me given of the situation and the location.

There's been a death in the opposite house
As lately as today.
I know it by the numb look
Such houses have alway.

The neighbours rustle in and out,
The doctor drives away.
A window opens like a pod,
Abrupt, mechanically;

Somebody flings a mattress out, -
The children hurry by;
They wonder if It died on that, -
I used to when a boy.

The minister goes stiffly in
As if the house were his,
And he owned all the mourners now,
And little boys besides;

And then the milliner, and the man
Of the appalling trade,
To take the measure of the house.
There'll be that dark parade

Of tassels and of coaches soon;
It's easy as a sign, -
The intuition of the news
In just a country town.