Become the Ash
Donald P. Goodman III
"Momento, homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris."
Become the ash that's left when finished is the flame,
the dust that lingers when the rest has been destroyed;
embrace what still remains when fire has made his claim,
when burning's sent all surplusage into the void.
For thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return;
by time or flame, all flesh and bone will be as ash,
and none from any other dust can it discern;
a man, a lifetime, here and gone in just a flash.
All flesh will fall to ash; but slag we first must burn
to purify the gold from all corrupted trash;
refiner's fire burns off the filth and leaves the shine;
become the ash! unto the furnace self consign!