[Oe List ...] On the Subject of Death and Dying

[Terry Bergdall]

Thanks, Milan. These are powerful reminders of what we all know but often fail to remember. I appreciate you bring it again to our attention. Terry

> On Aug 23, 2025, at 12:34, Milan Hamilton via OE <oe at lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:
> 
> We watched a podcast last weekend by our "climate mentor" Nate Hagens interviewing Stephen Jenkinson, author of Die Wise: A manifesto for Sanity and Soul (2015), who quipped during the conversation "Yeah, everybody knows that somebody else is dying." The discussion centered on our culture's baked in way of (not) dealing seriously with death and grief as deep experience (different from loss of someone or something and moving on). This of course brought up our history in the Order: Ecumenical. Then to be smacked up against THREE of US making that transition in mystery in the same week! Will our grieving be able to honor them? Will our grieving for the earth and her beings be up to the task. Or will we just be sorry for the loss of them and move on? I offer the following poem from our common library on the subject of death and dying, and one I wrote in response to the quote I mentioned.
> 
> dying is fine)but Death <https://allpoetry.com/dying-is-fine)but-Death>
> e. e. cummings, 9written 1931, published 19350
> 
>  
> dying is fine)but Death 
>  
> ?o
> baby
> i
>  
> wouldn't like
>  
> Death if Death
> were
> good:for
>  
> when(instead of stopping to think)you
>  
> begin to feel of it,dying
> 's miraculous
> why?be
>  
> cause dying is
>  
> perfectly natural;perfectly
> putting
> it mildly lively(but
>  
> Death
>  
> is strictly
> scientific
> & artificial &
>  
> evil & legal)
>  
> we thank thee
> god
> almighty for dying
> (forgive us,o life!the sin of Death
>  
> “I’m not afraid of death; I just don’t want to be there when it happens.” – Woody Allen
> 
> Everybody Knows
> 
> “Everybody knows that everybody else is dying.”  – Stephen Jenkinson
> Written after listening to Leonard Cohen’s 1988 release he wrote with Sharon Robinson
> 
> Everybody knows
> 
>                                     That everybody else is dying
> 
> Everybody knows
> 
>                                     That the planet is frying
> 
> Everybody knows
> 
>                                     That everybody else ain’t trying
> 
> Everybody knows
> 
>                                     The grim reaper is smiling
> 
> Everybody knows
> 
>                                     That there is no buy-in
> 
> Everybody knows
> 
>                                     That everybody else is lying
> 
> Everybody knows
> 
>                                     That somebody’s crying
> 
> Everybody knows
> 
>                                     There’s no use in sighing
> 
> Everybody knows
> 
>                                     That EVERY-BODY ELSE is dying
> 
> Everybody knows
> 
>                                     Everybody knows
> 
> Everybody knows
> 
>                                     Everybody knows
> 
> Everybody knows
> 
>                                     Everybody knows . . .
> 
> Milan Hamilton
> 
> August 19, 2025
> 
> 
> 
> Here is a link to the poem put to music and published on my YouTube channel as part of my offering to our grieving and honoring process:
> 
> https://youtu.be/mbW87WBsObY
> 
> --
> Mellow Milan Hamilton
> 80 North Center Street
> Redlands, CA 92373
> Phone: (909) 943-1667
> email: mellowmilan2 at gmail.com <mailto:mellowmilan2 at gmail.com>_______________________________________________
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