This Sacramental Life

See yonder hallow'd fane;--the pious work

Of names once fam'd, now dubious or forgot,

And buried midst the wreck of things which were
-- Robert Blair, The Grave

Death
is
bizarre.
We
were
not
meant
for
this
ripping
awayness.
(Now you see it,
now you don't)

Death
is
the
freehearted
escort
for
a
party-of-one
to
Paradise
(we're told)
the
party-of-the-rest
to
a
bowl
of
Ramen noodles
and
the
Discovery Channel.
(and no
party-at-all
for the grieving widow)

Death
is
off-the-wall.
Freakish.