"The Wire" has been described as a novel on TV, as classic literature, and, by Simon himself, as a simple act of journalism. All of those work. But, to me, it's an epic poem. As harsh and relentlessly unsentimental as this show is, as inevitably tragic as the characters are, there's always been a romantic view at the show's core - not of what is, but of what should be.

And it's powered by great language, lines that reverberate with truth. One that still rings came from McNulty and told everything about his star-crossed attempt to outrun the system with a fake serial killer.

"You start to tell a story, you think you're a hero, and then when you get done talking ..." he said, fading off. It's the tale of so many lives.

Sunday night's finale is a rewarding conclusion to the "The Wire's" long story. It's filled with emotion - frustration, anger, resignation, a little satisfaction, and one soaring, triumphant moment.

But unlike on so many shows, none of this is manipulated by music or sudden turns of character. It all comes hard-earned, because we know these people, know their flaws, know them like we know our own lives. They echo parts of our lives.

I will miss these people on "The Wire," maybe more than the characters on any show I've known, and that's why this series belongs on any short list of the best shows ever on TV. And shame on Emmy voters for missing that.

When it's done, the lessons of the Wire are forceful and profound. None echo louder on and off the screen than an explanation (borrowed from Clint Eastwood and "The Unforgiven") by Snoop, just before she checked her hair and waited to get shot.

Who wins, who loses, who lives and who dies? "Deserve got nuthin' to do with it," she said.

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