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Death desires an encounter with each of us, the living. But it is not a vampire, consumed by a longing to suck the blood out of us. Death desires contact because of it's inextricable connection with life. Death goes with life the way a cat's tail goes with the rest of the cat. Even saying death desires an encounter with us is saying too much, personifying death. The cat's tail doesn't "desire" contact with the cat's torso; it is already one with the cat's body.

Perhaps, then, it is more accurate to say that death realizes life because death goes-with life. Life renders life real; and death renders death real. There is a rendering that is called for. To render means to give back. Death dares to give back to the mystery, the unknowable, and there can be no interference, no altering of this. Death is the one absolute, the most complete rendering.

dried blood from its nose
the black tailed deer
lying in the ditch