it regained the virtues of innocence, compassion, generosity: virtues that, if he had ever possessed, had diminished as his own troubles multiplied

The more he considered his death, the more he felt certain it must 

be a handsome fellow—muscular, sharp-featured—perhaps a 

younger version of himself, somebody who had managed to avoid the 

moral and physical pitfalls which had caused his own road’s mortal 

constriction. So, as he aged, his death became younger, healthier.  

Its loveliness increased. It regained the virtues of innocence, 

compassion, generosity: virtues that, if he had ever possessed, had 

diminished as his own troubles multiplied. Until at last, when his 

time came, his death had been transformed to pure possibility. It 

had all the future that he now had to do without. Eager and full of 

promise, it was the child who hurried forward to take him by the 

hand. 

 

[Stephen Dobyns {1941- }, "The more he considered his death", from The Porcupine's Kisses]