that’s a death without death through which I must live

The idea is simple. Lucretius wanted to rid
the world of death fear by writing
On the Nature of Things. He says we fear
death only believing the mind somehow
continues even after the skull that holds it
is broken and harmless vapor leaks out
into everything dissolving. It’s
true I fear my death, but I fear
the death of others more, because that’s
a death without death through which
I must live. Or I fear my death
for the death others will have to live through
without me. That and probably pain
are why people are afraid. Anyway a world
without death fear would be even more scary.
Not that it matters. Death and fear. One
hand of steel, one of gold. Even you
wouldn’t know which to cut off or reach
out for first, Lucretius, because it is always
very dark here in the future.

[Matthew Zapruder {1967- } 'Ceasing to Be', from Come On All You Ghosts]