When I die —
There is fanfare
A ripple effect
A personhood lost
When you die —
A number in line
A bellow and thrash
Against arms that pull
When I die —
Crystal tears
Memory-treasure
Thoughts of others
When you die —
Brutality
Cruelty, lost hope
With no one to remember you
When I die —
I am named, known
Remembered by some
A lucky one
When you die —
Nameless
Beheaded
Binned
We both — live
We both — feel
We both — witness
We both — fear
We both — seek comfort in others
We both — flourish in kindness
We breathe
We blink and observe the world around us
We both die
But only one of us — lives
Poem and Art © 2022 J.H. Dickinson
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