A birth, a death
Ten thousand breaths between
If dust indeed returns to dust
A common end awaits us
An earthen rest ever follows
That final breath, released
And when to silten sleep we retire
Memories are left, six feet above
Words on stone, petals of silk
Candles of unceasing flame
Tokens of remembrance
And wonder at life’s end
But if there’s more to us than dust
Some spark of soul
Some verve of heart
Perhaps our beds of soil are nothing
More than signposts to the living
“We were here”
And if second life follows the first
We needn’t settle for the earth
For mourning, for crying, for pain
What’s left behind
One has overcome the long sleep
Marked the way
He would see us travel with Him
Despite our backs, bent with burden
Would ache to see us not
Reach home
A birth, a death
A crossing
Life
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This photo from a cemetery in Windsor, California inspired poetry in me. What does it bring to mind for you? Share with us in the comments below.