The Astronaut's Love Note

Please, do not be too sad if I burn up.
My life has run its compass - always had.
Drinking the barrel dry is good, not bad.
Find the spigot and imbibe - fill your cup.
Death turns the sourest wine to liquid gold,
Traps a moment beneath a bubble skin.
Death can make you weightless, make you spin,
You can watch a dusty sunbeam grow old.

I once dreamt it was the end of the world.
Before the sun quenched like a wet dog-end
The people did not weep or groan or fight
But, planet-wide, bright tablecloths unfurled
And trays of food were passed from friend to friend
All singing, gently, into that good night.