When into deathlessness I die

out of the running, past pray,

no need for livelihood,

versimilitude,

or reason why,

past okay,

selfhood;

nude,

stript to ashes to

             ashes

                          dust to

                          dust,

 

Count Down:

 

a bit more time...if just.

—John Fandel

John Fandel, who died in November 2011, was poetry editor of Commonweal from 1963 to 1979, professor emeritus of Manhattan College, and the author of ten books of poetry and two books on prayer.
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Published in the 2012-03-23 issue: View Contents

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