「 Fast Asleep 」
⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ 《 ぐっすり 》
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What is the meaning of death? What does one experience in the moments just before "passing on"? Ever since my mother and father were murdered, these questions have circulated in my mind. The body, it seems, is merely a shell that encases the individual spirit within: we are not our bodies, but a transient soul. It's what we become attached to in others, in every single one of us. Each shell is on a timer. Some are set longer than others. The word for it is fate, whether one dies peacefully in their sleep or if they are killed in cold blood. There are many ways to die, but what exactly does "dying" mean? The dead look as if they are fast asleep, off in their own dreamland. Except, they won't ever wake up. Their bodies rot, blood ceases to flow, the heart no longer beats. They have departed from the sorrows of this world and have traveled to a better place. If that's the case, some might consider death a blessing, or even, rebirth. But what of the ones left behind? What consolation can they find? Would they take comfort knowing that their loved one is in glory, or would they be tormented while the soul of the deceased now burns in the eternal flames of hell? The not knowing is what pains me. Where are my parents now? What do their bodies look like in their coffins beneath the dirt? While unable to move as our home burned down, what did they see before them? What were their final words? The concept of death is mysterious, mystical, and frightening. It is the apparent absence of life. One could then ask, what is life? If death is merely being reborn, what exactly is the difference between breathing air, and not? Not being able to see their faces is torment. Their voices being silenced, their eyes shutting forever, my very last moments spent with them... They are all factors of a human's death. Should I be sorrowful, or should I be happy for them? Should I be consoled, or deathly afraid? - ✧
