Old Death

He's on his way to carry us away

On the road where every long life lay.

Walking and wandering through and from

Where the breeze passes through trees with a hum

Finding croaking frogs and flint black felines

Slinking through tall hemlocks and spiny pines.

Upon this path all of our souls travel

Until the old Death takes to unravel.

Walking there the life essence of mankind

In with the benevolent woods to find

New grassy paths to traverse on our own

Into this one life by the soul self sewn.

The old harbinger will outstretch his hand

Drawing what he sees out into the sand.

Each soul will never know he is present

Except when their backs are so old and bent.

When the sandy picture is lost to tide

Then the sad soul will to old Death confide.

Nothing more can be said and nothing done

When Death finds a soul with the setting sun.

Orange tinted waves showing the good time

Spent in a life treated ever more sublime.

He will watch with the soul, hearing all tales,

Every story, the successes and fails.

Joyfully recalling the long lost years

Giddy eyes of the soul soon fill with tears

That carve into woes of missed chances

Of gone promises and one-time dances.

Wrapped warm and close in embrace of old Death

He'll whisper a caring nostalgic breath:

"You lived a life beautiful and loved deep

So let go of your worries when you weep.

Let your joy be great and get rid of fears

And let me help you cry away your tears.

Come, let us walk along this sandy isle

For together we'll recollect awhile."

With this, he'll release the soul from hold

And when every wish of life is told,

Soul and old Death will walk the ocean pass

Next to gradient shells and long green sea grass.

At the end of the stretch Death will let go

The soul to float off in golden sun glow.

The sun will set in lavender twilight

Old Death watching life go into the night.

Reviews

[Onlyme]

There is like a sense of sadness and empathy and understand feeling about old death, but also beauty held within the moments he passes and sees around him. From the sunsets, sandy isle, the ocean with he gradient shells and long green sea grass. Even though death is around. Beauty also exists around us all. Including him.

[Cass Ashe]

I like to think that death maybe could be nice and not scary with a scythe. You got it all to a T. I'm glad you liked it!

[Onlyme]

I guess to him its just a job. It's not like he choose it. I can understand that. Life and death. Is intermingled and sadly that is it. Good, bad indifferent.

[lilyrose]

As someone who recently took care of a love one who died from cancer, I really related to your poem. It is beautifully written and shows that death is unavoidable but that's ok because there is also a peace that comes with it. Thank you for sharing

[Cass Ashe]

My thoughts go out to you and your loved one, and thank you for taking the time to read my poem.

[VinneTheCreator]

I enjoy the general flow of the story; perhaps that is because of the simple AABB rhyme scheme or just because the way in which the words are laid out. Either way it makes for a pleasant almost bouncy read (assuming I'm able to describe words with an adjective that usually refers to objects). Also the personification of death is done very well. I seem to envision him as a kindly grandfather as opposed to the evil, scythe-bearing villain that is normally associated with a personified death. And the way in which you used bright phrases (once again with the nonsensical adjectives lol) to describe an idea with such dark undertones is... well poetic.

[Cass Ashe]

It felt like that sort of bouncy bright way (I think I get what you mean with the adjectives), and because of those it helped to bring out the lightness of how it is meant to be. Thanks for reading!

[NotUsinganymore]

Very beautiful poem. All of us die at any age. I grew up in a place where often it had high infant morality rate and people didn't make it to their twenties.

[Cass Ashe]

I think with that, we can find some semblance of comfort if our loved ones and those who are lost are in a happier place. I'm very happy you enjoyed this.