Fragments of Immortality

Fragments of Immortality

Yes, even here,
camped upon the threshold of death,
when the call may come at any moment
and the bags are packed in readiness,
there are moments when I forget
the certainty of imminent departure
and life shines upon me
as it did when I was young.
Breath was not so much guaranteed
as taken for granted, never a thought
given to its proven and certain cessation
for dying was something others did,
not for me, no, never for me.
For the young, death is no more than a concept,
a theorem as known and definite
as the eternity of life, unconsidered,
just accepted, not inspected
nor fingered and nestled within
as I do now, growing accustomed
to its looming shadow, the welcoming depths
that promise escape from a world grown cold.
Yet still I catch myself at times
behaving, thinking, without awareness
of time being short and readiness required,
as though once again released
into a limitless future, almost as though
this too is a preparation for beyond,
an intimation of life forever.

Today at least, it’s good to say
that, one way or another,
life smiles on me with blessèd carelessness.


Line Count: 31
Free Verse
After long internal debate, I have decided to enter this in the Shadows and Light Poetry Contest, closing date July 14, 2020. Contests are the best way to have at least a few people read your stuff and this one seems a bit slow in getting off the ground. I know that winning last month may decrease my chances this month (variety is the spice of life, after all) but the increased readership decides it for me. Writing is about communication, after all.