Tuesday, March 30, 2010

When death comes
like the hungry bear in autumn;
when death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purseto buy me,
and snaps the purse shut;
when death comes
like the measle-pox
when death comes
like an iceberg between the shoulder blades,
I want to step through the door full of curiosity, wondering:
what is it going to be like, that cottage of darkness?
And therefore I look upon everythingas a brotherhood and a sisterhood,
and I look upon time as no more than an idea,
and I consider eternity as another possibility,
and I think of each life as a flower, as common
as a field daisy, and as singular,and each name a comfortable music in the mouth,
tending, as all music does, toward silence,and each body a lion of courage, and something
precious to the earth.
When it's over, I want to say all my life
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.
When it's over, I don't want to wonderi
f I have made of my life something particular, and real.
I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened,or full of argument.
I don't want to end up simply having visited this world.

Mary Oliver -When Death Comes
-Goodbye my sweet dear Great Aunt

3 comments:

Jean said...

My condolences on the passing of your Great Aunt, Corby.

You've posted a beautiful statement of life lived.

dianne said...

Sorry for your loss Corby dear... Aunts can be the sweetest of friends and the source of great wisdom. xoxo ♥

Corby said...

Thanks my dear ladies, she was a wonderful woman and will be missed.

-Corby