Life and Death

by Diana Raab

Tonight I think of how death 
teaches us how to live--
crocheted in beloved family mortalities 
 
nestled in screams cupped by answers 
to live by, encased with mirrors 
as reminders to enjoy simple pleasures. 
 
Or maybe it’s that Buddhist textbook 
with earmarked pages perched 
on my bedside table 
 
which describes our powers 
of living by beginning in present moment--
gears fixed in slow motion,
 
like time spent time brushing our teeth, 
watering flowers, walking our gardens 
or meandering meditations in local parks. 
 
Or maybe it’s those dead philosophers
like Socrates who profess that death 
has no place in our lives. 
 
Maybe I feel this way because 
my many friends died last year, 
and memories of mother in oblivion 
 
in intensive care after multiple tumbles 
from her aged horse’s back,
as she approaches ninety. Is this nature’s song
 
and a reminder to forge ahead 
dwell in the moment
and make the best of each day? 
 
Maybe my prayer will be answered 
or maybe tonight I will slip into sleep 
and not wake up or feel satisfaction
 
because I knew how to smell flowers 
and water my internal garden,
and give myself permission to live.

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​Diana Raab, PhD, is an award-winning memoirist, poet, blogger, speaker, and author of 10 books and is a contributor to numerous journals and anthologies. Her two latest books are, "Writing for Bliss: A Seven-Step Plan for Telling Your Story and Transforming Your Life," and "Writing for Bliss: A Companion Journal."