The Death We Choose to Ignore

It was two months after you died

The first time cream or brush, wand or pencil, touched my face

Since you left

“Do you realize that you have the most beautiful face?”

It came through the radio

It came from you

I break through my lipstick

But I am amongst strangers

Mostly.

I suck it up

“Do you you realize that everyone you know, someday, will die?”

I stand in your stead 

I am the best (wo)man

But we know its a patch job

A pretty face to cover the ugly hole in this wedding party

Chelsea died last week 

A week after her own wedding 

With little more warning than you gave

If I had known she was leaving so soon I would have told her to say hello

To you

I step back

Everyone I know will die

I scan down the list

Everyone 

Some sudden. Some slow.

This bleak sea of death that our society is so deft at avoiding 

“Lalalala”

If you do not see it

Do not hear it

It is still there

Maybe you should stop reading and avoid all these thoughts?

Who can blame that?

But how— daresay—can you possibly live?

If you aren’t desperately aware of how certainly you will die?

I will not let death win until it has won

I will live each breath

Lest apathy suffer me a thousand deaths

Do not go gentle into that good night,

Old age should burn and rave at close of day; 

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

D.Thomas