Death Walks Beside

Youth ran away toward the front, as death pursued from the rear Catching me inside the paradoxical whipsaw of life I stopped, as the boy continued into the distance; but the reaper stopped too Wanting me to run some more, preferring to attack from behind As I turned to face my stalker, his eyes went down; and his presence cast no shadow He took two steps back, but I reached for his hand while saying: “Walk with me, keep up with me; your job here still not finished The boy has indeed gone; but the man is not yet ready to go” (Villanova Pennsylvania: August, 2017)