When Death Comes

When death comes
like the hungry bear in autumn;
when death comes
like the measle-powdered deer
sliding in with ice and spring,
I want to step through the door full of grace,
like a dancer in the wild trees,
like a mountain of silence,
like the ocean’s voice singing.
And when the final kiss comes,
when I cannot hold back,
I will have already held
life like a precious secret,
and the darkness will find no reproach
in my smile.
I was brave and loved every moment.

• Mary Oliver