By John Hoad
It is not only people who die,
But institutions, relationships,
Careers, positions, jobs.
Species die. And mighty suns.
Go for the gusto. Or run and hide.
Or dawdle. Come nightfall, no one
Escapes death in the hide-and-seek
Of life.
Even if the Great Perhaps were true –
That conscious life moves to another plane,
Or recycles until we get it right –
Still the exit from time remains awesome.
The much-loved pictures fade from sight,
The much-loved faces, and tunes, and tastes,
And places, go diminuendo, and die.
Memories last a while. Mementos. Books.
Sacred writings copied through a thousand years.
The Pyramids and the Taj Mahal.
And longer than them all – replicated pieces
Of DNA.
But when Chronos hurls his javelin,
No one keeps up.
We must all learn to say goodbye.
So, what’s the lesson?
On our watch, with our rations,
Make our own Lewis and Clark trail.
Make time yield a bumper crop.
Don’t let the past hold the present to ransom.
Pack the memorables,
But travel light: Discard
The hurts and the hates,
The resentments and the regrets.
A wound may leave a scar,
But the scar need not fester.
Where you are,
Make a difference.
Add a smile to this day.
Listen a little longer
Before you speak your solution
Or tell your story.
Add some corny and hokey pabulum
To your diet.
Kick off your shoes
And wade in the surf.
Venture beyond your backyard,
Beyond your city limits,
Beyond your ethnic circle,
Beyond the picket fence
Of your philosophy’s stereotypes.
Give swans and ugly ducklings
Access to your pond.
Give the world a big hug
Before seriousness reasserts itself.
Never let the pilot light
That fuels your passion
Go out.
Form a committee of mentors
In your mind.
Consult and contemplate:
A religious figure,
A moral philosopher,
A poet, an artist, a reader
Of the mysteries of nature,
A writer, a lover, a maker
Of difference in a needy world,
Or some ordinary person
Who has had an extraordinary
Influence on your life.
The choice is yours –
But choose with flint-on-flint
In mind to set the sparks
Among your embers:
Be inspired by the inspired,
And inspire in your turn.
Belong to the universe.
That’s about it. And, oh, live
While you live,
Don’t die before you die.