O, Life

Thoughts never cease to flow
Of how beautiful you are.
Dear Life, with you, everything is heaven,
And every moment is a blessing, a joy.
How blessed I am that you are every breath I take.

You have me, and for that I am grateful.
I possess something beyond all worldly riches,
Something almost divine in its preciousness.
Perhaps I am one of the fortunate few,
For nothing is as beautiful as you, O Life.

Yet how strange that you chose someone like me,
One who could never have afforded your gift.
But you never chose between the rich and the poor;
You simply came, and for that I count myself blessed,
Though I may be small in this vast world.

You were harsh when I was still tender.
I grew like a wild cub, with little to wear,
And often I hated you for what you gave me.
Yet even then, beneath the hardship,
You remained that same beautiful Life.

You tested me in countless ways,
And I failed more times than I can remember.
Yet through every failure,
You taught me who I could become.
For nothing truly beautiful is born
Without first enduring a fall.

Do you still remember those nights
Of shivering cold and gnawing hunger?
When even a loaf of bread
Was a luxury beyond my reach,
And I was too poor to dream of such abundance.
Even then, you whispered your lessons
Through every empty stomach and sleepless night.

You watched me grow,
To wander, to dare, and to become wiser.
Whenever I broke apart,
You quietly showed me another path.
Each dawn carried the promise of better days,
And for a while, my heart knew only smiles.

But now your tests seem endless,
As though there is still something within me
You are determined to draw out.
I am weary of carrying these sorrows.
Why won't you show me the path
You once revealed so clearly?

Can you still see me now?
My cries grow fainter with each passing day,
And these sharp pangs of pain
Tear at the heart within my chest.
Why do I see only sorrow,
With hardly a moment of peace?

Or is this all my own doing?
Am I the architect of my suffering?
Still, I hold to one belief—
That your existence itself is a blessing.
If you have chosen to keep me,
Surely you have not forgotten me.
Surely there is still a better plan.

Why can I not bring contentment
To those who walk beside me?
Why does everything I touch
Seem destined to fade into disappointment?
Each day I grow weaker,
And I wonder how much more I can bear.
You are the Maker of this journey—
Will you not show me the way again?

Or perhaps, whisper to those who despise me
That life was never meant
For hatred, jealousy, or pride.
Teach them that we are all travellers,
Walking the same uncertain road,
And that the greatest farewell
Is one without regret.

No, I will not bring an end to you,
As some have done in despair.
For despite everything,
I still know how beautiful you are.

So I shall gather what little patience remains,
Stand quietly in the silence,
And wait for the day
When you once again reveal your light.