A Spray of Ease By Catherine Berry Miklitsch Do not court death, sweet warrior, you have fought the good fight all the days of your life. Lie back in the shade. Hide away in the shadows, let sounds give way to silence. Let the other senses have their say. Close your eyes, they've seen enough, the stage narrows now to old friends and memory. In place of destinations eagerly sought the world comes at your beckoning smooth to the touch of simpler things. Gather a bouquet unlike all former ones. A spray of ease, a bloom of some scent that you have kept at bay. Even good-byes are gentler now. They come to you as offerings, spare and lean to couple the past with joy. Come to Me By Catherine Berry Miklitsch Come to me on a stream of light for I cannot bear your weight. Speak to me in the breath you breathe in the dark night. Lay your hand on my thigh, simply, as in a gesture of good will. Sigh as though you understand the weight of years and are content to rest now wrapped in them. CATHERINE BERRY MIKLITSCH will read from her work at 7:30 p.m.