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What We Carry with Jess Jones's avatar

What an interesting question. I immediately thought of the descriptions of the look and texture of death, from deaths point of view, in The Book Thief. Slightly different I realise, but that’s where my memory went. My own view of death and what the word evokes has changed since I lost my brother. I now see it lighter, more colour. Almost a shimmer. To me, it describes a thing that will happen, after which time I’ll see my brother again and continue the rest of my journey. If that makes any sense 🥴

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Alegria de Rose's avatar

A poignant reflection Michael. Deeply felt. Glad you survived the prognosis. And I’m sorry for your loss.

Death as a colour, would be shades of charcoal and smudges of pale grey, like a fog at dusk, almost colourless, until you come out the other side.

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Megan Youngmee's avatar

bleached bone white. amazing. mine is a glittering expansive white. with an inky black for a moment. Death is the doorway for so much within us. and the ultimate thing to face as it is.

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Jan's avatar

Such poignant and reflective words Matthew. Death does that, I think. Sends us to existential pondering. Death is black with white spots, like when the old TV stations turned to static, quiet, still white noise that fades to no thing......

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Sally Jupe's avatar

That was a truly reflective one and I too am pleased you survived to tell us your colour of death. You made me think, and at first it was also black. When I was very unwell with pneumonia at the age of 30, death felt very grey looking back now. But as I just thought about all the people and especially my dear cats in my life who have died, I have to say that death each has its own distinct colour according to each of them and how they all lived their lives.

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Rolando Andrade's avatar

I'm glad you survived death. I've been through that experience myself and I know how it can change us and call into question everything we think we know.

For me, death is white, just like loneliness. That's what death is, an immense white loneliness. I wrote a poem about it that has already been published on my blog here on substack. The poem is called “White loneliness”

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Rolando Andrade's avatar

"thus revealing to the world

all the shades and variations

of a white, so white,

like a sorrow that lingers

forever staining the eyes" https://rolandoandrade.substack.com/p/white-loneliness

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Barrie's avatar

Thank you for your stark, honest feelings and thoughts. Very moving indeed!

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