What is Death?

What is death?

Is it sudden seizure of breaths; 

of extreme pain and then the eternal release?

or is it the moment of lapse 

when the souls switch between bodies? 

That body once they dearly looked after

dressed and decorated with pearls and feathers 

Discarded the soul like a piece of unwanted crap 

Let it go, even when its time wasn't up..

Where do these souls travel to?

Where do they go?

Do they have a feast somewhere very far,

Drinking out of the eternal pot?

An abrupt end 

to desires, deeds, emotions and feelings 

letting go of it all 

Wouldn't have been easy..

Wonder how the dead might feel 

to watch their bodies 

burnt or buried?

Wonder if their cold rigor mortis 

yearns in pain 

for love and affection even when they are dead..

What happens after death? 

Science hasn't established 

Where do those people go those who die?

Are they born again 

as their desired reincarnations; 

or do they fly away to heaven or hell,

nobody knows! 

Death knows no young or old 

Knows not of rich or the poor; 

When it strikes; it strikes really hard

Once dead there is no coming back..

But however I wonder 

....Are there DEATHS IN PARADISE?

Author's Note

I felt like writing this, someone has died today right opposite our flat that we have recently moved in..I saw the ambulance crew pick his remains and take him somewhere..I don't know nothing about the dead..but I have got a lot of questions in my mind..May the person rest in peace and be happy in his or her on paradise..

Reviews

[The Rock And Roll Cowbo..]

A very profound poem that raises many thoughts and questions... Certainly we will never truly know all these answers, we can only make individual decisions based on our beliefs.

[PP]

Thank you Dale for saying a very intense truth in a very straight forward way :)

[The Rock And Roll Cowboy(REBEL WITH A CAUSE)]

You are welcome... it is the only way I know how to express myself :)

[PP]

It is a great way!

[Rita L. Sev]

Pondering this earlier today myself, the questions surrounding The End, and the futility of those questions - even if we KNOW, we cannot stop the inevitable. Your line that death "strikes really hard" - dead on (no pun intended :) The hardest strike of Death is to those left behind... A solid, provocative write.

[PP]

Thank you Rita..you are very true! We humans still long for those near and dear ones lost..guess never in a million years we can strike an agreement with Death..

[quinfinn]

indeed, a mystery for the ages for all to ponder. i have actually died before so i have a glimpse of what lies beyond, but it is just as much a mystery because we don't know how to interpret those near death experiences. is it a trick of the brain, that we see a blinding light and hear voices of those who have gone before us? or is it truly the beginnings of that voyage to another plane of existence? this piece is a marvelous examination of our questions and the many interpretations we would like to understand. well done!

[PP]

Thank you Quin for sharing your experience; I am so intrigued by this whole thing.. Beginning of voyage to another plane of existence..nicely said :)

[quinfinn]

sincerely, the pleasure was mine , to read such an engaging piece of prose.

[PP]

Always better when you add your bit to my writes :)

[quinfinn]

always happy to, just remember to keep me in mind when you send out read requests!

[PP]

will do hun, I don't send many read requests Quin 'cos I don't get a chance to respond to RRs..so guess not fair! But I'll them them across to you :)

[quinfinn]

i have a hard time keeping up with whom i have exchanged r/r's with so i ask my friends (i have many) to keep me busy replying....no problem

[PP]

It just piles up at my end..:(

[Jeff]

Very powerful. There is no coming back from death. The terrifying part is we don't know what happens afterwards.

[PP]

So true, thank you Jeff :)

[Jeff]

You're welcome!

[PP]

:)

[AYVID N]

Death is ugly. Death is final. THE END. That's one view...
The other is of eternity...of reincarnations...of a dark tunnel and then bright light...
However, no one comes back to document that.

I prefer the second take on death and after-life. And I have almost come to believe that after reading a series of publications by Dr. Brian Weiss (MD), the first and most famous being "Many Lives, Many Masters". Do read it if you can...his research coincides with the basic view taken by all religions, on life and death.

Coming to think of it...even if there is nothing after death...its not that bad at all. I went under recently for an operation and I did not feel anything till I came back. In the process, they sliced my abdomen and repaired everything under it!

This poem was very poignant and well-worded and really made me stop and look back at my own experiences. Thanks for the refreshing change...

[PP]

Bless you Divya, hope you're feeling better now x I will try and grab that book; thank you ever so much for sharing your experience..Death is the ultimate end to life and graveyard the ultimate truth!

[Pete Langley]

I was going to post a review of your poem, Prathama, but I thought I`d write you a poem instead. I`ve just posted it (well, almost!)I think you may have started something here. P.

[PP]

OMG Pete, I am reading it straight away..Thank you

[PP]

What is it called Pete?

[Pete Langley]

One Size Fits All

[Pete Langley]

Sorry about the delay - the phone rang!!

[icelandicblue]

I think you pose one of the most haunting questions that we have to face- what happens after we die? Your poem is very profound and thought provoking. It is so hard to understand death-even when it happens nearby to someone we barely know because we keep death at bay as a concept; its reality is too unsettling to embrace it with comprehension.

[PP]

Thank you hun for such meaningful words :)

[Frieda P]

I live in and around these words, too many questions to ponder and none of the answers dear Tink...this one is like a shot to the head.

Do have have a feast somewhere very far,
Drinking out of the eternal pot?

Good line but you have too many 'have's'....

[PP]

typo!! oops..thanks darling will edit it :)

Such a secret is this phenomenon!

[Frieda P]

So true, especially when self-inflicted, whole other slew of questions go along with that one.

[PP]

Self Inflicted deaths are horrific, how can the world be so heavy upon anyone for them to decide to cease to exist?!

[Frieda P]

Have no clue, I ask myself that each and every day...desperation is my guess, when I see my sister, after I hug her to pieces, I'm going to kick her fine arse and ask her that very question.

[PP]

Sorry to hear that; I haven't experienced it with someone so close..must be soul destroying :(

[Frieda P]

Pretty much, it's hard not to get stuck in that mindset....especially since we were so much more than sisters, it's almost like a betrayal of sorts, you have a lot of guilt when someone goes out in that fashion. I hope dear one, that you never have to experience it.....x

[PP]

I feel for you hun, I can feel the pain..I hope wherever she is she is having fun, enjoying herself and being at peace with herself xx

[Frieda P]

Thanks Tink, I hope so too, but then one never knows, I have no clue what to believe, I like to think of her as a magnificent butterfly flying free now....

[PP]

if that is how you see her, then that is how she is! Lingering free and at times stopping by your window when the night falls and looking at you with peace :) She is happy wherever she is! Now I can understand why butterfly means so much to you xxx

[Frieda P]

She loved butterflies, had them released on her wedding day, one flew on my shoulder, we have pictures & videos of it lingering there. That last day we stood on the church steps a butterfly lingered between my brother and I, we just looked at one another thinking could it possibly be....I don't usually believe in that type of stuff, but on that day I truly wanted to believe....

[PP]

Are they born again
as their desired reincarnations;

May be sometimes our beliefs are the biggest truths, although there may not be an explanation to it..we are what we believe in x

[Frieda P]

Oh geez, don't tell me that! If you were in my head, you'd see that comment is trouble.....x

[PP]

I can feel it :) that video is just for you x

[Frieda P]

That video gives me goosebumps! Thanks again hon, you're the best xo

[PP]

my pleasure darling x I happened to find it straight away..Co-incident?

[PP]

Wasn't even looking for videos with butterflies!

[Frieda P]

Ok, now you're scaring me!

[PP]

I won't anymore...hugs and kisses x

[Frieda P]

I'm kidding, I don't scare that easily my friend, just kind of strange, don't you think? xo

[PP]

I am shocked..like I said I wasn't even looking for butterflies..Frieda that is exactly what I mean, nobody knows how the dead exists..right here right now as we speak :)

[Frieda P]

Well, since I hardly believe in coincidence, there must be something to it then! :-) x

[PP]

x

[Frieda P]

♥♥

[jacob erin-cilberto]

this is something like "death in the opposite house" by emily dickinson..

i love the idea of the deaths meeting somewhere and having a little party...and the idea of being able to hover and see how people react to our death...what do they say? how do they act? what did we really mean to them?

[PP]

Absolutely Jacob, its like so mysterious..so intriguing..