Most people hope to be remembered. Willowsails' speaker asks for the opposite. They imagine their death plainly: the body burned to ashes, then thrown into a river. There, moss and ferns (the poem spells it "miss") grow over the spot, so the speaker's remains become part of living, growing things. But the speaker doesn't stop at returning to nature. They want the water to wash everything away, leaving no sign they ever lived, not even a memory or a speck of ash.
The tone is quiet and calm rather than angry or panicked. There's no explanation for the wish, so we're left to wonder whether it comes from humility, weariness, or pain. The word "pray" gives the request a gentle, almost sacred feeling. The mood is peaceful but also lonely, and the subtitle, "From Ashes to Nothing," makes the ending feel complete and final.