A Christian And Death

A Poem

Photo by Yannick Pulver on Unsplash

In my mid-seventies now
My final chapters are being written
Thoughts of death are unavoidable
Are in fact a constant presence
Impossible to ignore
Demanding a response

Belief in God has long been professed by me
Yet this awaits confirmation from the person that I am today
Along with a total commitment that I have too often failed to give
There is no other time but now
Old age has stripped me of distractions
Formulaic answers provide no shelter
Dogma and tradition by themselves are not persuasive

Everything that has led to this juncture
All my life experiences
Have their meaning called into question
One more/last time
My purpose in life
The purpose of life itself
Are part of this final examination
I cannot hide from this confrontation with myself

The thought that one day in the near future
“I” will no longer exist
Is almost too much to comprehend
I vacillate between…