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My Death Collection
Microstories and Haiku Quintets for Thinking Mortals Latest update: 31 March 2025
For context: I am a fundamentally happy person. I enjoy living. I have friends and family who enrich my journey. Sharing home-life with my wife and best friend in our scenic perch overlooking Sarasota Bay is a daily joy. Belonging by accident of birth to a privileged demographic, I have received advantages unavailable to fate's unfortunates and faultless victims, for whose suffering I mourn. Born in 1945 and living long enough to witness the apparent collapse of democracy in my homeland, my lifespan may be rightly called humanity's Golden Age. No previous era in human history has offered such manna, even to royal elites. I am in reasonably good health — barring some unforeseen accident or diagnosis, I'll linger several more years. My life is good, for which I am deeply grateful. So, why this existential fascination with death? Reflecting on the conclusion of one's life with full awareness is a feature of the cosmological perspective that I strive to achieve. In these early centuries of scientific discovery, I sigh in awe of my insignificantly miniscule, yet unique, moment of consciousness in the infinite, yet-to-be-fully-understood universe. What a privilege! This collection contains an accretion of selected minimalist poetic pieces that offer glimpses under death's kilt, where many dare not look. Topics include end-of-life-choice, antinatalism, faithlessness, and secular humanism as a worldview. Browse boldly. Let your mind wander. Follow it there. Repeat. Selections are largely unordered. As new bits accrue, they are placed at the top of this list for the convenience of repeat visitors who may stop in occasionally for a fresh nibble. My age-mates may find these small poetic bites of particular resonance. Feel free to share this link with others. ![]() 064. Our Warm Sea ~ Until the water's edge ~ in Dan's voice 062. Peace ~ Let it be ~ in Dan's voice 060. Uncertainties ~ Carry on living this good life ~ in Dan's voice 059. Danny's Decision ~ A free-thinking choice ~ in Dan's voice 058. A Writer's Final Plea ~ That's all I ask. ~ in Dan's voice 056. A Bid for Remembrance ~ Is this the one? ~ in Dan's voice 052. A Life Story ~ Finding my footing ~ in Dan's voice 051. I Write ~ Speaking from the grave ~ in Dan's voice (Preface to Microstories, coming 2026) 045. Return to Oblivion ~ Thank you ~ in Dan's voice 036. Socrates ~ I am his son ~ in Dan's voice 035. Imbalance ~ God's original sin ~ in Dan's voice 029. Duty to Live ~ To none but me? ~ in Dan's voice 017. I Want My Mom ~ At eighty ~ in Dan's voice 011. Getting Better at Getting Old ~ Less not more ~ in Dan's voice 006. My Dad at 150 ~ When I reach your age ~ in Dan's voice 005. But First, My Mom ~ I sip from your depth ~ in Dan's voice
431. What Matters? ~
On the human scale
424. Why I Write What I Write ~
Why this and not that?
421. Pain and the Food Chain ~
Is pleasure worth the pain?
420. Legacy ~
To none greater dare I aspire
416. How Do I Love Thee? ~
How can I love Thee?
413. My Obituary ~
An early draft
411. Being Dead ~
Nothing to fear
408. Slippery Slope ~
How did your mind work?
405. How Is Life Good? ~
Tell me again
403. The Right Side of History ~
When it is written
402. Lucky Life ~
1945 - 2025
401. Memory ~
As long as I can
396. This Side of the Glass ~
I watch the world's horrors
395. With Eyes Wide Open ~
Preface: Love, Death, and Humanism: Practical Philosopohy in Verse
392. How Do You Not Ask? ~
The inescapable question
377. My Sell-by Date ~
Memory's slippery slope
370. My Deathbed ~
I will die in this bed
351. The Most Moral Choice ~
Antinatalism
335. Glidepath ~
The ground is rising
329. Struthof ~ Nazi concentration camp 321. My Relief Generation ~ Dedication to A Life Mostly Lived 312. A Father's Day Regret ~ I will never know 274. A Decision Deferred ~ Life-snippet: Freshman year at University of Missouri-Columbia, 1963-64 272. My Dad's Afterlife ~ Life-snippet: My dad's death and its consequences, 22 April 1955 to present 228. I Forgot to Ask ~ ... before it was too late 224. My Bucket List ~ Scratched off 220. Misplaced Grief ~ I'm not the one who will grieve my death 216. Five Seconds Left to Live ~ Is this how I die? 196. What's That Word? ~ On the tip of your tongue 195. In Your Hands Now ~ Take this worn baton 178. Voice of a Nulled Child ~ A billion years of suffering averted 169. You are my afterlife ~ My stuff will go on, and on, and on ... 166. Final Moments ~ So, this is how it ends. 160. The Crime of Killing Time ~ I sip slowly now 123. My Race Against Time ~ Will I finish this before fate intervenes? 115. Tet 1968 ~ Life-snippet: Cu Chi Vietnam, January 31, 1968 100. Jim's Last Gift ~ He illuminated the road ahead 74. We Are Accidental People ~ If a different sperm had reached the egg, what of human history? 70. Life Is a Movie ~ View from the peanut gallery 67. Mack's Vision ~ When visions diverge 61. Thin Silver Lining ~ End of young life may not be all bad. 55. First God ~ Grandaddy Deity 45. Chicxulub Asteroid Impact ~ Our lucky day? 35. On Antinatalism ~ Is life good? I mean, really, is life good? 29. Richard Died Today ~ Our friend is with us no more 9. On Dying ~ A lucky atheist's approach to death, dying, and choice (More will be added from the archives soon) ![]() All content © 2020 by Dan Dana
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