Lullaby

Life, that's what we call it


In each moment that passes by


In each moment until we die


These dreams we dream...


How wonderful each of them seems


How beautifully they decorate the inbetween


And each day we give life


Our life


We breathe it away


Our hearts beat it away


And our children eat it away


I can only assume that it's supposed to be this way


But I don't know what any of it means


I know there's a lot I'm supposed to be thankful for


       And so it seems


This time, through each of these moments


I have the chance to live


to experience, to dream


to build, to love


to destroy, to create


I really don't want to live in fear


Nor do I want to choose life from fears


I want to be free


With or without comforting arms to hold me


I want to be battered, bruised, and worn


I want to be screamed at and scorned


I want to laugh and lie and fuck and cry


I want to destroy all that's left to hold onto


And one day...

I want to die.

With or without a legacy behind me


Those things wont matter to me anymore


Only my experiences will determine


Whether my life was rich or poor


Everyone that's ever come


Is either gone or will be soon

And that really doesn't bother me

      but my ambitions bother me

       my fears bother me

        my worry bothers me


But I'll make no apology


I'm going to die


I welcome it... today or tomorrow


You are going to die


And I probably wont get the chance


To tell you goodbye


I probably wont get the chance


To watch that light fade from your dying eyes


But I will sing you this lullaby


And in your memory


I will probably cry



There is something left for you to learn


And I don't claim to know what that is


But I do know that only in dying


Is that understanding earned

ⓒ 2007 Shawn Michael Quinn