The deathless Malvina Reynolds, on death (and loving life). “This World,” 1961:
- Baby, I aint afraid to die,
- It’s just that I hate to say goodbye
- To this world, this world, this world.
- This old world is mean and cruel,
- But still I love it like a fool,
- This world, this world, this world.
- I’d rather go to the corner store
- Than sing hosannah on that golden shore,
- I’d rather live on Parker Street
- Than fly around where the angels meet.
- Oh, this old world is all I know,
- It’s dust to dust when I have to go
- From this world, this world, this world.
- Somebody else will take my place,
- Some other hands, some other face,
- Some other eyes will look around
- And find the things I’ve never found
- Don’t weep for me when I am gone,
- Just keep this old world rolling on,
- This world, this world, this world.
The lil’ peanut, unencumbered by adult awareness of mortality, is standing on one of the 128 poems along downtown Berkeley’s Poetry Walk. Â Former poet laureate Robert Haas chose them, and they all are either by celebrated Berkeley residents, or celebrating Berkeley itself.
Poetry Walk! As though I needed another reason to want to live in Berkeley.
🙂