When I die

"...if love doth bloom, it doth suffice;
though I may vanish, love's eternal flame endures."




When I die,
birds will soar in a magic wedge,
flying where the sun will warm them,
toward a life of light and glory —
only they won’t know
that I am dead.

When I die,
people will rush, running late
for their planes, their taxis, their buses,
people will buy a cake and light some candles —
only they won’t know
that I am dead.

When I die,
the tectonic plates will shift, uneasy,
rolling over in their sleep,
stirring tsunamis and earthquakes —
only they won’t know
that I am dead.

When I die,
there will be a funeral, a lifeless body,
a few raindrops on the grave,
a feast, a prayer, a quiet acceptance,
and only sometimes
they will recall that I am dead.

When I die,
the sun will rise, and rain will fall,
a train will depart, though you are late,
a stranger will marvel at your beauty —
and no one will know
that I am dead.

When I die,
thousands of people will stand in awe
of nature’s boundless grace and wonder,
for she could craft a being like you,
and there will be no reason left
to recall that I am dead.