benevolent // violence

what if death is not the grief and sorrow we have always envisioned?

our bodies are here, borrowing matter and energy from the universe to exist
i feel the truth of that under my skin and in my bones
when i am still with the earth i feel her wisdom, her gentle nurture
the earth is a patient, loving mother
she sacrifices herself so that we may practice living

the Earth is always gentle with us, despite our constant thrashing of her
she knows that learning takes time,
so she stands ever present in her revolutionary wisdom,
even as she shows symptoms of our callous and greedy mistreatment

she speaks to us in the language of our bodies, in whispers and sensations,
teaching us that we find ourselves in the soft spoken moments of reverence
and when we ignore her she speaks to us in benevolent violence,
just as our bodies do

in the end, we’re all just borrowing our lives
from the ones that have passed before us
it is only right that we do our best to live well, and
at some point to return our constituent elements better than we found them

therein lies the selflessness of death,
surrendering your vessel to be broken down
to become the rudiments of all life, once again
so the cycle may continue