Such Shadows from Shadows

Every step must be preserved.
That’s how evolution works,
And that’s how everything works.

All the feet that walked are lost
And the lives that went with them,
But their steps are all preserved.

Nothing can take back a step
Once that step has been taken,
A shadow from the shadows,

Stepping out into the light,
The shadow dissipating,
The step forever taken.

How to Go On

Ah, the living, the living
Are full of concerns, filling
Their hours with concerns about

Living, how to be living,
How to live better, longer,
Live well, make the most of it,

While the dead are not at all,
Not at all living that is,
Although they exist, sort of,

Side by side with the living,
In memories, dreams, and books,
Some in obituaries

Or in memorium films,
Where you can see them featured
Next to essays on living,

Articles on how to live,
Activists and spokespeople
Giving advice on living

For the lives full of concerns
For how to go on living
With those not living at all.