on death

you find the turtle in its box its dessicated body and head shrove in to its shell

you take the turtle which is palm-sized to the garden in the backyard with your son

you take up a flagstone dig a little hole and your son places the turtle in

you say a few words you say he was a good turtle you thank him for the presence he had in your lives

you put the flagstone back

your son finds the goldfish floating on its back and bobbing in the bubbles he says i think it's dead

you come home from a long exhausting day you forgot about the goldfish

your son reminds you that the goldfish has died

you and your son take the goldfish from its tank and take it to the garden

you take up the flagstone that was next to the turtle's flagstone and your son digs a little hole

your son has been crying over the death of the goldfish

your son is crying and places the goldfish into the hole

you say a few words you say he was a good goldfish you thank him for the presence he had in your lives

you put the flagstone back

you take your crying son into the house for his bath

you half-quote whitman by saying death is luckier

you don't think so

you say you are here and then you are not

you half-quote donne by saying that luminous absence

you search for its light