On the Day I Die

On the day I die,

when I am being carried toward the grave,

don't weep. Don't say, He's gone. He's gone.

Death has nothing to do with going away.

The sun sets and the moon sets,

but they're not gone.

Death is a coming together.

The tomb looks like a prison,

but it's really release into union.

The human seed goes down into the ground

like a bucket into the well where Joseph is.

It grows and comes up

full of some unimagined beauty.

Your mouth closes here

and immediately opens

with a shout of joy there.