Dance to Death

This is a poem I wrote in October of this year - a month ago today, in fact - while sitting on a rock on the Skyline Trail about three-quarters of the way up the western slop of Great Blue Hill in the Blue Hills Reservation, south of Boston. I originally posted this on my blog Fitness400, which follows my 160-pound weight loss journey over the past two years, but thought it would be fitting on this blog as well. It gives insight into what inspires me to do the things I'm doing.


Dance to Death
by Brian Schwarz

Dying things are all around
As soon as birth, then death abounds
Not just in the devil's touch
But God, through death, has taught us much

To love and care and fill our days
With life and laughs and curious ways
And all the time we've got is ours
Till finally we've marked the hours

So dance to death; fly, be free
March your way down to the sea
Then back again to mountain tops
Take on life with all you've got!