When You Die: A Poem

I will tell you exactly
And only the facts.

You are trapped a little for a time
And unhappy

Then your face hollows and it has a death mask
As the soul withdraws from the body

And you look at me and tell me who you see
It is always someone,
Sitting there like me,
But on the other side of things
Waiting for you.

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And suddenly you become a column of white light
And leave the body all at once
Going upward,
I know not where.

And the body flickers, because it had a light and it is going out
And it shimmers for a bit
And then it is just a body,

And you are gone.

And sometimes I see you
In my mind’s eye
Standing beside me
Making idle conversation

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