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Dylan Oxley's avatar

In this instance, your dream is very relatable! If it were me, I'd probably settle for some poetry by Dylan Thomas or Mary Oliver to find peace in my final moments.

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Matthew Morgan's avatar

Both good choices, and poetry's brevity seems sensible given only five minutes to live! What makes you think of going to those two in particular?

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Dylan Oxley's avatar

Mary's respect for nature and the cycles of life would put me at ease and I feel like Dylan's Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night would give me courage.

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Matthew Morgan's avatar

Makes perfect sense. If I'm ever poisoned in my waking life and given five minutes to live, I'm coming to you to pick my last book for me! That said, and inspired by your choices, I might go for Keats' "When I have fears that I may cease to be", just for the reassurance that few of us ever feel like we've finished all our business before we go, and for the reminder in those closing lines that the losses of death are inevitable:

"... on the shore

Of the wide world I stand alone, and think

Till love and fame to nothingness do sink."

Somehow, that's reassuring.

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Chris M's avatar

Fascinating dream. I know what I have chosen and this has been a year of classics. They rarely are the perfect book but it has felt significant. Don Quixote is still on my TBR list for this year. I know I will read until my time runs out. The TBR list is infinite, but I am not.

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