I love death, my own

from poetry collection: Geometric Shapes and Non-linear Narratives written during a depressive episode one autumn

I love death, my own

as I love life.

I embrace it -- all its mighty

strength

my arms weak,

shoulders heavy with hunger.

Death, I am.

I am Death, the cloaked thing

loyal friend,

merciful ghost.

Life, this world 

and the world beyond

the bottomless fall, the faithful leap

They yell and weep

Yell and weep, they all.

The chasm.

Life. Death. And what lies in between

I am standing by that chasm

Let me walk you

across that bridge.

Hand in hand

our shoulders merge together

and two lights -- 

one of hope, one of fear

the faithless stand here, naïve

watching and waiting as

Time blows them out.

It blows them out

like a candle... 

In Saitama, the sky is beautiful.

Every day, the clouds gather like congregations

of enormous size and mass

Love you, they say, love you 'til the very last. 

Author's Note

I am okay. This was written years ago during a particularly melancholic time of my life.

Reviews

[Amy R]

Wow, I loved this poem, it shows us so many things including accepting life as is...to be alive and enjoying it all, we must first accept death.

Words like "embrace," "mighty," "loyal," and "merciful" convey a sense of reverence and acceptance toward death. The juxtaposition of "hope" and "fear" further illustrates the duality of the human experience. Great write and imagery too.

This poem encourages us readers to accept life as is and death included, for they both go hand in hand.
Thank u for sharing such a deep poem,
-Amy

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

thank you Amy, your words are so encouraging. i really want to invite readers to give their own interpretation, but you really captured what i was thinking and feeling at the time. accepting death is the hardest thing anyone can do, yet we must.

[Amy R]

You're welcome, really happy to hear this,
Have a good evening and weekend.

[andrew mitchell]

Great work, well written, you capture the very essence of life while embracing its fragility and the final outcome.

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

thanks Andrew. yes, i think you picked up exactly what i was feeling at the time.

[Relic]

For a poet, often times out of depression and darkness comes profound poetry. This is one of them.
I'm reminded of the poem “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas.
It is strong emotion that bleeds upon the page. I believe you've done that with this poem.

Excellent writing, Ern.

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

thanks Relic. Thomas is fantastic, but i'm not sure if i agree with him. i like to think i can graciously accept my end, when it comes. but perhaps i lack the zest for life he did.

[Dave W.]

My dude, this was really great, I guess this is the one appointment none of us will miss. I love the heavy things of life and this is as real as it gets. Thankyou.

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

Dave -- thanks for your comment! it is very encouraging

[John the Baptist]

Interesting that this piece was written during a depressive episode. I used to work with many depressed people, and the obsession with death was strong among them. Though there is no overt mention of it, I imagine the speaker had suicidal thoughts while this offering was being written.

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

indeed i was. but i was also always ... not obsessed but conscious of the fact I will die. around the time of writing, a part of me wanted to die but i began trying to imagine what would happen after. which is of course, impossible.

[D. Mansfield]

Excellent writing, I'm so thrilled yo have found this. Life and Death, a thin sliver of a line separates the two. I have accepted both equally. Thank you

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

that's amazing. i have as much as one can come to terms with my death, though i like to believe i still have some things left to do here on earth.

[I Shred This Cabbage]

This is powerful stuff! We are always on the eve of that chasm, and doesn’t it make life more urgent and beautiful for that.
These lines particularly are lovely in their simplicity:-
In Saitama, the sky is beautiful.
Every day, the clouds gather like congregations
Very good poetry indeed!

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

thank you. while i am a logophile, my heart always wants to convey things in the most straight-forward way. this poem was written one autumn during a particulraly melancholic and pensive period in my life. i was deeply reflecting on my own motality when these verses spilled out.

[Elnnes Scholtz]

Ern, your poem "I love death, my own" beautifully captures the complex relationship between life and death. The imagery of death as a “loyal friend” alongside the metaphor of the chasm and bridge illustrates our shared journey. Your reflection on the passage of time and the striking conclusion with the Saitama sky leaves a lasting impression. Thank you for sharing such a thought-provoking piece!

Warm Regards
Elnnes

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

thanks Elnnes for your kind review and insightful critique. i enjoy reading poetry reviews almost as much as reading poems themselves. and you are spot on, death is something that is promised to us and we should not think of it completely negatively.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

And this depicts that battle within, and then what those might deliberate. Suicide or accident....intended or not?
So many questions may arise with the death of someone.
I find this reminds me of Syliva Plath....my thoughts are that she did not think she would die the last time she tried suicide...she was used to being saved and then coming back to write about all her suicides like they were shows she presented to the reading public.
You write interesting, thoughtful poetry that gets our minds churning trying to figure out how we see what you have written....poetry left open to the reader's inflections is the best.
j.

[Landy]

so emotional. I like the description of death as a loyal friend, it's a part of us and we should embrace it instead of fearing it, I don't see it as the ending but as a beginning of a new life. lovely poem.

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

100% agree. fun fact, i am actually a Buddhist. "not an ending but a beginning," beautifully put.