Death Walks Beside Poem by Kurt Philip Behm

Youth ran away toward the front,
as death pursued from the rear

Catching me inside the paradoxical
whipsaw of life

I stopped, as the boy continued into the distance;
but the reaper stopped too

Wanting me to run some more,
preferring to attack from behind

As I turned to face my stalker, his eyes went down;
and his presence cast no shadow

He took two steps back, but I reached for his hand
while saying:

"Walk with me, keep up with me;
your job here still not finished
The boy has indeed gone; but
the man is not yet ready to go"

(Villanova Pennsylvania: August,2017)