my benevolent opponent

I saw him and he came to me,
with hands raised, ready to fight,
I met hm in the middle,
Death and I in the spotlight,
I saw the gleam in his darkened eye,
the promise he would fight fair,
and that it was his job to steal,
and for my life he did not care,
It was then that he advanced on me,
his quick and deathly blows,
who will be the victor of this fight,
only the almighty knows,
I ducked, I rolled, I punched, I swung,
but alas to no avail,
for in my fight with death,
It was I that did fail.

The spotlight fading on me,
Death no longer feared,
I watched my loved ones stop and cry,
then they too disapeared.
Alone I lay, in the dark,
despairing in my loss,
but glad i dont have to see mankind,
only wood and dirt and moss,
Glad I can't see,
the dreary gray sky,
Glad I can't hear,
the lover's pain-filled sigh,
and I dont mind the lonliness,
nor the chill of this spectral wind,
for I have found something in Death,
in Death I've found a friend.