First Day Issue, Tierra de los Sueños: Death
Unidentified neighbor boy, winner Scariest Costume, Chesterfield Halloween Parade, Saturday 27 October.
Though little of his face can be seen, his mouth is streaked with blood. We waved and smiled as he slowly passed by.
But he didn't smile back.
What do children make of Death? How well and accurately do they understand it?
What do adults make of Death? How well and accurately do they understand it?
Children get Death better than adults. When Death strikes down a classmate, they laughingly give the finger to Death, they give Death the Bronx Cheer, and yell "Missed me, nyah-nyah!"
Later they will be taught to Respect and properly Fear and Dread Death.
But to what advantage? Respecting Death, taking off your hat respectfully when Death comes near, saying solemn prayers -- this keeps Death away, this protects us from Death exactly as well as giving Death the finger and the Bronx Cheer.
I admire children's insulting, taunting disrespect of Death. In broad daylight in front of the neighbors -- the Volunteer Fire Department and Police had blocked off the main intersection -- this adolescent Death carried his Scythe (cardboard blade wrapped in aluminum foil) for all to see and contemplate.
In the World Wars, British combat fliers were drubbingly, acutely aware of how near Death was to them, how unlikely it was that they would return alive from their mission in the sky, and drunkenly sang this parody of the Christian funeral littany:
- The Bells of Hell go ting-a-ling-a-ling
- For you but not for me:
- For me the angels sing-a-ling-a-ling,
- They've got the goods for me.
- Oh! Death, where is thy sting-a-ling-a-ling?
- Oh! Grave, thy victory?
- The Bells of Hell go ting-a-ling-a-ling
- For you but not for me.
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