I lay in silence, the world was- Where?
My mind was motionless, my spirit a stone:
Hard, unmoving, cold.
And then came upon me a vision-
A mirage of meritable import.
I saw above me a blinding light, and thus the revelation befell:
A large stone door before me stood:
Hard, unmoving, cold.
My being moved toward it, involuntary of command;
In front of me a rose my hand, guant and wasted.
To my repulsed eyes, it knocked upon that dreadful door!
Hard, unmoving, cold.

But lo! It opened! With dreadful din, it did.
And, yon, in the dark, was nothing- But hark!
I hear a sound, a mournful moan!
Dark, dismal, haunting.
Yes, I did remember that horrible sound
To the end of my days,
And the creature that made it.
Dark, dismal, haunting.
To whom did this piteous cry belong?- Death itself.
Indeed, there he was and O! his face!
O! his visage! Hast thou seen Death's face?
Dark, dismal, haunting.

At my approach, however, he rose, suddenly changed!
He was a black lion, ravenously raged.
He leapt toward me, yes, and roared out!
Vehement, violent, enraged.
My heart did heave once, and threatened to still,
But my being, still spontaneous, moved!
Though, willingly, I would have ran, I leapt forward! The black lion roared again.
Vehement, violent, enraged.
Death did stop his mindless plunge, and prowled in circle with me.
I felt his passion, now shared with he; our eyes were red with rage.
Would he try to end me now? And I- to dare defy him? We circled.
Vehement, violent, enraged.

My mind did speak aloud; it said, "Lo, Death, we meet at last.
Before, you were a sad shadow: dismal, but not a threat.
E'en though you followed me silently. But now, again as a shadow,
The sun hast moved in the sky: my shadow is now before me."

Behold! That black lion spoke back, stopping in his prowl, and sitting down.
He, calmer now, twined his tail about him, and spoke lithely.
"Ay, indeed," hissed he. "You have known me since your youth.
You have seen my blow upon man's weakest part- his soul;
You have seen the truth, that I shall end them all, and Yes!
The world doth dread to see me, as a sailor sees a squall,
But you, you!" Death did lash his tail. "No matter,
I am kind. Yes," his eyes glittered evilly. "How do you think I take
An old man before he is awake? Or, how, sweeter all the more,
When I take a babe before it is borne? Before he behold the cruel world?"

"Ha!" laughed I. "I see right through your subtle sighs. 'Tis when
You are God's tame cat that you can take one so softly."

Death did lash his tail again, and growled, "Yes, you always did
Desire to defy the weakest part of mortality; But I
Can take sould too, as you have already seen!" he cried angrily.

He was silent for a while, then his voice came deadly still:
"Your better part would have feared, upon me, would have ran.
But, no: you face me to fight. O, yes!" He grinned evilly,
"And your fall will be my greatest triumph! Unless you turn away?"

But I was no fool, I knew his cunning- he was a knave!
One would turn his back on him, and then he would leap,
With one sinuous movement, upon him from behind.

"One day," I said, "you shall take me, and welcoming
I shall receive you. You shall be a tame cat, and take me then."

"And then," cried he, "I can also take you now, with blood and reveng!"
He stood, sable sinews shining softly.

He was incensed, his ebony mane floating above his head. Yes!
Vehement, violent, enraged.
He leapt toward me yet again, and I leapt forward, as well.
We fought, hand against claw,
Claw against mortal hand.
Vehement, violent, enraged.
I soon found, however, that I could not prevail!
He lunged at me, and clawed at me,
And threw me to the ground;
Vehement, violent, enraged.

There I lay, gasping for air;
Death stood above me, glaring at me.
My very soul and being could feel Death's breath:
Dark, dismal, haunting.
He circled me for a while, before he dealt his blow.
"Ha!" laughed he. "You will feel now your fatal fall."
That dreaded dusk that does not fade to dawn.
Dark, dismal, haunting.
Then my soul did cry out,
To hear some still, small hope!
And to see a light within my darkness,
Dark, dismal, haunting.

My eyes did open wide, wishing wildy.
And lo! Before me is a hilt, sunk into the ground!
It shines as one's brightest dreams when fulfilled.
I leapt toward it, evading Death,
Seized it, pulled it from the earth,
And held it aloft, spotlessly shining.

Behold!The sword of Dayspring, the undefeatable Defender;
That Light, that Dawn, that ends forever all dusk, even Death's.

I turned, and face Death, there he is now!
He is crouched, ready to spring, hate seething in his eyes.
"No!" he hisses. "You shall not; you cannot!"

He lunged.
I swung.

I lie in silence, the world is- Where?
It matters not:
My mind is calm, my spirit a bird:
Free uplifted, enlightened.

And, someday, Death shall take me.
As a tame cat, he shall take me.