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…