For she learned not to dance with death
She always danced with death
To the very brink of aberrance
Even when life tried cutting in
She took an oath
She would not let it win!
The light refused to shine through the maple trees
Will life give us a break from trials, and gift us with ease?
Certainly not!
For like a raging storm with waves black as ebony,
Surely life is the bigger sin!
’Twas then her dance stopped,
A crucial lesson she did then see.
That life is worthwhile,
Perhaps it was taught by her faith
Or her relationship with positivity.
In either case,
It was then she knew
We already die over and over again
So, with that newfound wisdom,
The trees did let the sun break through
Her past, that symbol of death,
A skull in her hand
Now set down
Replaced with a promised land
When there’s growth, both outside, within!
So life,
When bitter seeds are replaced with honey
Is a flawless example
Of how we shall rise again
So then, life might as well be cherished!
A dark vision she had,
Sometimes she was tempted!
Of sparrows baked into a pie
Death never gives a chance to start over, alas,
Never gives a chance to fly
Then, another vision she had,
Of a dagger cutting open that pie and releasing those sparrows
To show freedom.
In the end, after all
She learned NOT to dance with death.
(Copyright, RachelBrooke. Inspired by Because I could not stop for death by Emily Dickinson)