"For the Anniversary of my Death", by W.S. Merwin.

My favorite recent poem has been "For the Anniversary of My Death" by W.S. Merwin. This is an old poem, first published in 1963, yet its message is timeless: Merwin inspires us to reflect on what seldom crosses our mind. After all, such an anniversary awaits for every one of us.
Every year without knowing it I have passed the day
When the last fires will wave to me
And the silence will set out
Tireless traveler
Like the beam of a lightless star
The first 5 lines describe what happens "every year": the title of the poem makes it clear what kind of day it is that the poet is passing ov…