We Are But Cosmic Dust

We worry too much about this trivial instant in time that is our life

A fleeting Facebook message
RIP my friend
Almost missed it
Scrolled forward, scrolled back
Blinked, stared, tried to make sense
Is this a joke or for real?

A classmate from long ago
Not so much in touch, but 
Met a couple of years ago
Hung out, laughed, traded stories
It was fun

And just like that, he’s gone
No bye bye
No see you later alligator
No contact information
His cellphone is not reachable
He is not reachable

Healthy, doing ok in life
No reason to go
No hurry
Or maybe there was
Who knows what lies beyond
Who knows anything at all
All we know is the sense of loss
And the ringing sound of ‘why’

Lying in bed contemplating
Staring at the ceiling
Kid walks in
“You look like someone died”
Yes! Yes! Someone did
Someone I know
Some kid’s dad
Someone’s brother
Someone’s best friend

Did life stop?
Did everything come to a standstill?
“Let’s mourn the one who left”
“Let the wind stop blowing for just a second”
“Let the earth stop rotating for just a moment”
Nope. Nothing stopped in nature
Not for a microsecond

Life continues as it should
As it is preordained to do
And so do we
Feel bad for a while
Mope. Ponder our mortality
Move on.
Evening. Time to make coffee
Plan dinner
Complete that assignment
Move on.

He’s gone
Not reachable
Dust to dust

So will we. Someday
We are but cosmic dust

---

Saw a Facebook post about a friend. He was not close. We spoke last a few years ago. But I knew he was somewhere out there, leading his life. That seemed enough. The news was hard to comprehend. Why do we believe everyone will live forever? Why is it always a surprise?

Found out that he collapsed while playing badminton. Poof! Maybe he was lucky to have gone without much fuss, without pain and suffering.