8.11.2020

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

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]

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