DEATH IS NO STRANGER

written by: Dilip Mohapatra

@dilipmo

Why does your skin crawl
when you think of death?
Death is no stranger
you encounter it
almost every day and every night.

You feel the dead in every
plucked flower
in every dried up leaf
that rots under the tree
in every piece of log
that burns in your fireplace
and when the moon dies
periodically preparing to
begin again with the crescent
like the dormant seed
under the winter snow.

You feel the dead
as you see the earth doomed
to its extinction
the noose becoming tighter
around its neck
every passing day.

You feel the dead
when you hum a forgotten tune
standing on the edge of silence
and move around the living dead
impassive and inert
who just stand and watch
the atrocities around
without a whimper
and you
yourself lose your being to
so many beings and die
a thousand deaths
in small instalments
while carrying the corpse
of your conscience.

Death is simply an opening
at the end of the tunnel
that would lead you
from your closed closet
to the wide open streets.

About
Latest Posts

Dilip Mohapatra

MAY 2017 / JAN-FEB 2019 AUTHOR OF THE MONTH at Spillwords.com

Dilip Mohapatra (b.1950), a decorated Navy Veteran started writing poems since the seventies. His initial foray into the world of literature was through poetry workshops in college and inspirations from his teacher Jayanta Mahapatra, an acclaimed poet in contemporary English. His poems have appeared in many literary journals of repute and anthologies worldwide. Some of his poems are included in the World Poetry Yearbook, 2013 and 2014 Editions. He has six poetry collections to his credit published by Authorspress, the latest being Dewdrops of Dawns, which has received raving reviews in multiple literary journals globally.
Currently his latest, a Professional book titled Campus to Corporate which is a career navigation manual for the students aspiring for a successful corporate career and for newcomers to the industry to survive and succeed has become a best seller with more than 10000 copies sold.
He lives with his wife at Pune, India.