June 26, 2017

Who in the world is not afraid of death? The very thought itself is enough to send shudder through our spine. Even if you know that you have lived enough and more on this earth, you do not want to die. You pray to God to give you good health and long life. That is the human tendency. Mythological stories apart, no one so far has won over death. Some people die young and some old. Some die of ailment and some end their life. But the ultimate truth is that we do not want to die.

John Donne (1572-1631), a poet belonging to Metaphysical School, through one of his Sonnets “Death, Be Not Proud” challenges the very pride of death. Donne suffered a major illness that made him come closer to death. Then he orders “Death, Be Not Proud”. Though people have called it “Mighty and dreadful”(Line 2), it is actually a “slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men”(Line 9).

Just a few days back one of our colleagues Avis Jyothsna, from the department of English, Milagres PU College, succumbed to cancer. Her courage and boldness to face death was so commendable that it reminded me of John Donne. Greater reason to remember John Donne’s “Death, Be Not Proud” is the poem she wrote on her death bed just a couple of days before her death.

She was 49 when she died. Couple of months back she was like any of us. She fell sick and she realized that she was going to die. There flowed from the person on the death bed an unparallel poetry. She welcomed death as one would welcome the most loving one. She was not dejected nor depressed over death. For her death was “Crossing the Bar”, a mere transition. She gathers so much of courage to console her friends. She assures the living that death is not cruel. It is a vehicle to transport you to eternal bliss. So she asks her dear and near ones;

So, when tomorrow starts without me,
Don’t think we are far apart,
For every time you think of me,
I’m right in your heart.

Very few or none can display this type of courage on the deathbed. I think God was very kind to her and gave her enough strength to embrace pain and death. Here is her poem.

If Tomorrow Starts Without Me

If tomorrow starts without me,
And I’m not here to see,
If the Sun should rise
You find your eyes
Filled with tears for me;
I wish so much you wouldn’t cry
The way you did today,
While thinking of the many things
We didn’t get to say.

I know how much you love me,
As much I love you,
And each time that you think of me
I know you will miss me too.

But when tomorrow starts without me,
Please try to understand
An angel came and called my name,
Took me by the hand and said;
“This is eternity and all I have promised you,
You have been forgiven and now at last you’re free”.

So, when tomorrow starts without me,
Don’t think we are far apart,
For every time you think of me,
I’m right in your heart.

Good bye to you dear colleague Avis Jyothsna.