THE DEATH OF MY SPANISH DOLLI have felt the coldnessOf life's setting sun,As warmth and lightSlip away into night,And stared uponThat blackened yaw,Awaiting, Forever now,The returning breath.A slackened jawReciprocates, at the last,With one final sigh, The gift of birth,Whispering a fare-thee-wellTo the world, Proclaiming another death On earth.In a rude, confusing shockOf the inevitable,This intrusion of honesty,Confronts me,Lays bare my secret fear.Reality's sterile scalpelCuts deeply,Pares completelyDown to the bone.I wrestle withMy disbelief,Weep, unashamed,My tears of grief.Yet surrounding me,A reverent sweetnessLingers in the air,A trace of angels' perfume there,The scent of tranquility,A soft, calm, stillness,Strangely comforting.A distant voice Is calling down,To us, who liveAnd laugh and cry," I,Aye,My inner eye,Yes, I shall love,But never die."