A Poem and Reflection on Death
by Elouise
Death haunts the pages
Of our minds and hearts
A shadow reality bearing down
On irreplaceable relationships
Who am I without you?
Where am I to go without you?
How much agony can one soul bear?
Each beginning moves
Ineluctably toward its end
Knowing and not knowing
How the plot will play
Your death becomes my death
Bankrupt dreams and hopes
Why didn’t we see it coming?
As though we were omniscient
I’m left asking myself what must I/we do to be ‘ready’? The question is urgent, and yet…
It’s always too soon, until it’s too late.
Dr. Ira Byock, M.D., quotes this saying in his book The Four Things That Matter Most. The book isn’t just for people facing imminent death of a loved one. It’s for anyone, anytime, anywhere.
The four things are simple and life-changing. They won’t take away the pain of death. They will, however, help the people we leave behind deal with the reality of our absence.
Here they are, four things to say to those you love before it’s too late:
Please forgive me.
I forgive you.
Thank you.
I love you.
I can’t recommend this book highly enough. Especially now, in light of multiple tragedies here and around the world. Death piled on death. Expected and unexpected. Close to home and in our news feeds daily.
Of course there are things that ‘need to be done’ to decrease the kinds of death we’ve witnessed already this year. Yet none of that will prepare me for my death or the deaths of those I love. That’s what’s on my heart this afternoon.
Blessings of peace,
Elouise♥
© Elouise Renich Fraser, 2 October 2017
This in beautifully written Elouise. Well said, I share your feelings greatly.
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Thank you for this kind comment. We’re connected to others in so many ways–often via the most painful things that could happen.
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I could not agree more ❤️
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it’s been a dark and destructive week around the world, I tire of watching the pain on the news as I seem to absorb it like a sponge at times….praying more and on the subject of death, this reminded me of a class I took in high school “On death and dying” where we explored the stages of death, read EKRoss’s book and watched a lot of sad movies. I was always enamored with the peace of cemeteries and in college, spent a lot of my creative writing time there in the fall under a lightly warm sun, ah memories you stir my friend and loving this post…. Hey L ❤
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What a wonderful memory. Thanks so much for sharing it. I think we’re dying in more ways that individually. So very sad and, yes, full of uncovered insight when we’re willing to sit quietly and listen. 🙂
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A day doesn’t go by without my thinking about it, and wondering how the hell it keeps avoiding me.
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Assuming you mean death, I’d suggest you’re not yet ready. But then again, I’m not God. 🙂
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I’m ready for whenever it comes, I’d like some warning so that I can settle back with a nice long drink and appreciate it’s arrival.:D
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Hoping you receive your heart’s desire, Brian! Not that I wish for it to come just yet…
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Well certainly not before 2 pm this afternoon, 3½ hours time. I’ off to meet Neill at the Vic. might take a couple of selfies of the pair of us and do a post, prhaps Ira the Polish princess will turn up too,haven’t seen her for a while. She’s the one gets her church to say prayers for me personally. She has a good leg in, her aunt was canonized by the Catholic church as a saint some years back. So she’ll get in, no worries 👿
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