Epitaph

There is an order to mortality

ruled by etiquette and good behavior.

We write of our lives

knowing we must one day leave.

We write of our death

not knowing what lies ahead.

From the too-deep earth

to the drying-up river,

we are all only a few words away

from an epitaph.

Reviews

[Raef C. Boylan]

"There is an order to mortality
ruled by etiquette and good behavior." - put me in mind of the whole human species, queued up on a conveyor belt, politely waiting their turn to die. Also, the way in which we're expected not to mention it in so many circles...that destroys articulation on the subject, so that whenever we do try to approach death as a conversational topic, or even through art like you have here, we are out of practise and feel adrift. I don't think the social ideal can be achieved until every member has accepted the facts of their own inevitable end; life fulfillment seems an impossibility without this acceptance.
Yet, due to the rules of 'good behaviour', my statement is regarded as 'morbid'.

A really good write, Emily. It's so hard to capture mortality in language, and yet you've managed an essence of this in just a few lines. To echo W.K.K: "deceptively simple".
Poignant, inspiring and intriguing.

Thanks for posting this.

[alan peter kelly]

i know my destination...that is why i make the most of this journey...and why i am grateful to providence that i have discovered a place along the way where you reside with sustenance and batteries for my torch...

[JENY]

It is very very true…
How meaningful ….
Loved these lines so much….

[...]

. these words strike like lightening ... and they strike with miraculous precision ... they are heavy but come with no burden ... they etch the route to the end with a sense of calmness that is only you ... i hope my epitaph reads well ... i hadn't thought about it ... was so preoccupied with ensuring that i am buried and not cremated ... i was born a hindu but converted to sufism ... so technically i'm a muslim ... i wonder if the life i have led will culminate in some beautiful words ... this is so moving ... i have so many thoughts in my mind right now ...

[Robin]

you just let me remember so many people , so young ...

[Jibey]

A sobering sequence of thoughts... simply but elegantly expressed...

[Alicante lullaby]

so wrote one so well..i'm gonna make you promise to write mine.

[dovetailer]

Epitaphs...the original Twitter...daunting to lie in repose and your whole life summed up in a few sparse words...seems like we can't take all our accolades with us either...
lovely words...and so true

[paul]

what a way with words you have: from the rules of mortality.
and 'we write our lives' what a beautiful inspiring idea.
inspires me to write my day today.
'we write our death'
and reminded by this poem how beautiful the term: lies in wait.
and i learn from this poem: the earth, too -deep. too deep indeed!
juxtaposed by the next line of: the drying -up river
and just a few words away from so much, so much.

amazing, amazing poem Emily !

[The Rock And Roll Cowbo..]

It is so true life can be taken from us in a flash so we need to do what we want in the here and now before it is too late... awesomely powerful write.