Marianne lyon

TO DIE

I worry if we die     become stars
how will you hold me     
how will I kiss you 2    

dying is different 
from what anyone supposed 
and luckier 3     

the seeds we bury in soil 
flourish even after we’re gone 4  

for what is it to die but to stand naked 
in the wind     melt into the sun 5     

to sleep     

I like to sleep     
it is no bad thing to want to sleep      
for everyone has an afterlife 6
     

it’s everything and nothing     
it’s like absent slumber moments 
between night and day 7     

to sleep     perchance to dream 1  
              

I believe we see
a sliver of heaven when we dream     
but our mortal fears 
and worries cloud our vision 8  
   

don’t be afraid      
fear doesn’t stop death     
it just stops life 9

how easy it would be to just let go     
to go willingly 
into all that wonderful energy 10    

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1 Shakespeare- Hamlet     2 Charlyn Khates     3 Walt Wittman     

4 Neymat Khan     5 K Gibran     6 Kurt Vonnegut     

7 Sophie Hardcastle      8 Lorin Morgan-Richards      

9 Tracy A. Malone     10 Adrienne Wilde

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MARIANNE HAS BEEN A MUSIC TEACHER FOR 43 YEARS. AFTER TEACHING IN HONG KONG, SHE RETURNED TO THE NAPA VALLEY AND HAS BEEN PUBLISHED IN VARIOUS LITERARY MAGAZINES AND REVIEWS INCLUDING RAVENS PERCH, TWJM MAGAZINE, EARTH DAUGHTERS AND INDIANA VOICE JOURNAL.  SHE WAS NOMINATED FOR THE PUSHCART PRIZE IN 2017. SHE IS A MEMBER OF THE CALIFORNIA WRITERS CLUB AND AN ADJUNCT PROFESSOR AT TOURO UNIVERSITY IN CALIFORNIA.