Death comes regardless of the hardware on the mantel. Both pauper and prince must surrender when Charon arrives. The ferryman accepts no ransom. The trip is destined, but darkness need not be final.

Death comes not to scare, but to accompany one to the next path, the new beginning of the longest journey. Traversing now can be laborious, the weight of attachments pulling at the ankles. Or it can be unfettered, with each step softly caressing the path. The choice is ours.

Death comes as hope when all else has failed, for one looks forward with anticipation to the next dream. For purification blesses each who slips into that dark night, where the grand reunion awaits and each is lost in love’s embrace