Confronting Azrael

“Azrael, Archangel of Death”
Painting by Evelyn DeMorgan
From en.academic.ru

you can’t take my breath
I still need it
to feed my small acres
this forest of mine
this spectacular
lush carbon sink
is dependent on me
and sustains me in kind

we’ve grown used to
this private exchange
to this chemical coitus
of intimate ethers
when one of us dies
the other will follow
and even though none
who remain may be
moved into mourning
this good little piece
of the natural world will
perchance be diminished

so stand yourself down
bring a halt to your
homicide practice of
thievery leave me alone
and move on to some
other poor soul whose
life counts for less than
my million green leaves