NAH - 'Close to life - close to death'

I was asked to deliver an illustration for a definition. With a given format, I had free choice for the medium/material and how I would like to interpret my idea. The main point is to create a suitable atmosphere for my concept/statement. 

The word I received was NAH (in German, 'Nah' means near/close) and I finally came up with my concept after asking myself many questions (Should it be physically near or mentally? To which extent could something be considered as 'near'? How about 'far'?...).

This is my own interpretation: 'Close to life - close to death'. 

I've always loved to discover an issue from different perspectives and things that contain double meanings (Doppeldeutigkeit), especially human psychology.