Bottled Bells

Death goes swiftly
black wings flapping,
bottled bells jangling,
Smoky voice intoning:

“You are late in waking
the battle is raging,
the sun is setting.”

Life had its moment---
The muskrat
sucking the green watercress
at the frozen stream’s edge;
Boys skate at ice hockey
Atop the crystal lake---
Grey vision of the scarlet bird
Who echoes your name
In a dream.

Bottled bells clacking and clanging
Fingers tapping.

Greater nature is at rest
Circles cease to turn
Death comes near
You can hear a hollow voice echoing your name

And all at once you can see her!
If you weren’t so late in waking.