He’d flay them with cruel whips and cut at their hides
Their strides he would lengthen with means all most foul
And scare their souls witless with a blood-freezing howl.
Those wishes are craven, all carved from regret
They weigh down our spirits, we cannot forget
all those lives we would live if times they had changed
and granted desires, hopes and dreams we’d arranged.
Like soldiers in battle ordered and neat
We planned our bright futures, could not wait to meet
the glorious high-life brilliantly displayed
Now disappointed we curse at the path, disarrayed.
Life is not like a spreadsheet, it’s wrinkled and rough
The devilish detail is knotted and tough
It will consume us in moments, time will speed past
Until we’re sighing our last breath, dismayed and aghast
at the time we have wasted on the roll of the dice
For at the end of the last day, no-one lives twice.
******
This poem came to me (yet again) on my travels on the London Underground last week. We were all herded out of the station as a man had suffered a heart attack and died on one of the platforms. It got me thinking about how there are no second chances, that we, a bunch of commuting strangers probably knew of his death before his own family – I found that fact on its own to be desperately sad. I wouldn’t choose to die in a London Underground station, in public – but that’s the point, we don’t often get to select the when, where and how of our death. So this, this is about making the most of every part of your life, because you really don’t know what’s lying in wait for you. Just don’t waste it, whatever you do…
Please do visit the dVerse Open Link Night for examples of some very fine poetry indeed – and be inspired… Join us! You can link up later at 3pm EST – or whatever that works out to, wherever in the world you may be…
so true – we only have so much time and we cannot choose when and how it ends…it’s tough to die in the underground with all strangers around you.. tough for the fam as well
Thank you – the rhythm of it just seemed to evolve, and then I realised that it was appropriate for the sentiment. Much of the time, that’s how my poetry ‘works’!
Much better than having to yank them out, word by slippery word! 🙂
sounds like birth – although watching the experience has made me thankful to be a man, with my agony limited to the discomfort of seeking meaningful words.
I like your take on this well-known expression. Your rhyme makes your whole poem sound like something that has lived forever. The pace is great, too.
What you choose to achieve is a roll of a dice.
And the fact is, a plan you can think over twice.
What you cannot make void, is the urge to have fun.
So you better find pleasure in making The Son.
..very well said… no one can escape away from death… it will find us sometimes in our anticipation..sometimes when we least expect it… and we can never be well prepared… but we can enjoy every single moment that we have… ah, yes…the best thing to do instead. of worrying… smiles…
Thank you, Kelvin. Yes. And I have been (and am trying to unlearn the habit of) a chronic worrier. So to keep writing things like this is also an attempt to remind myself how it would be so much better to live, rather than worry about living!
The content powerful, Freya. How true that our lives can be extinguished as quickly as a candle flame. Let us not be in a hurry to get to where we think we should be, but enjoy the moments of what we have in the here and now. So terrible about the man who lost his life.
whew…what a close on this…love the energy throughout as it left me a bit breathless in the reading…we have to watch our wishes they def can lead us to places we would not go otherwise….we take what we have to live it to the full…and not wish it away…
Well I wish I had written this, although I never travel the tube, too crowded, I prefer buses. Still you can be inspired by the characters in the bus. So sad about the guy who died.
Freya Writes... 
so true – we only have so much time and we cannot choose when and how it ends…it’s tough to die in the underground with all strangers around you.. tough for the fam as well
I know, it must have been a horrible shock for his family – that’s what really bothered me, in the end.
wow – I really liked the pace of this one — throbbing like we lemmings in a hurry to go nowhere fast.
Thank you – the rhythm of it just seemed to evolve, and then I realised that it was appropriate for the sentiment. Much of the time, that’s how my poetry ‘works’!
isn’t that great, when the poems just flow.
Much better than having to yank them out, word by slippery word! 🙂
sounds like birth – although watching the experience has made me thankful to be a man, with my agony limited to the discomfort of seeking meaningful words.
I like your take on this well-known expression. Your rhyme makes your whole poem sound like something that has lived forever. The pace is great, too.
Thank you so very much, what wonderful words to read!
How wise Freya, I did like this and as i am reading Aleph at the present the references to time and life rang so very true. Excellent poem..
‘Wise’… I have my moments! 😉
I’ve not read ‘Aleph’ – I must add that to my ginormous list! Thank you, Michael.
THAT IS LOVE
What you choose to achieve is a roll of a dice.
And the fact is, a plan you can think over twice.
What you cannot make void, is the urge to have fun.
So you better find pleasure in making The Son.
·: † :·
I do enjoy it when comments are in rhyme form! I’m not a Christian, but I can certainly appreciate the sentiments – thank you 🙂
I loved the spreadsheet metaphor. Time to take a pause and just enjoy it, no?
Great write and great read Freya!
Indeed – time to smell the flowers is never time wasted. Thank you so much!
“all those lives we would live if times they had changed”
yes, this
Thank you – I’m glad this spoke to you.
..very well said… no one can escape away from death… it will find us sometimes in our anticipation..sometimes when we least expect it… and we can never be well prepared… but we can enjoy every single moment that we have… ah, yes…the best thing to do instead. of worrying… smiles…
Thank you, Kelvin. Yes. And I have been (and am trying to unlearn the habit of) a chronic worrier. So to keep writing things like this is also an attempt to remind myself how it would be so much better to live, rather than worry about living!
The content powerful, Freya. How true that our lives can be extinguished as quickly as a candle flame. Let us not be in a hurry to get to where we think we should be, but enjoy the moments of what we have in the here and now. So terrible about the man who lost his life.
Thank you. Yes, it bothered me a lot that evening and every now and again since. I was lucky that my dad didn’t die alone, or somewhere so public.
Those moments we have.. We should treasure them but waste it on the mundane. Liked the meter and rhyme a lot.
Thank you, Bjorn. I for one won’t die wishing I had filed that report….
whew…what a close on this…love the energy throughout as it left me a bit breathless in the reading…we have to watch our wishes they def can lead us to places we would not go otherwise….we take what we have to live it to the full…and not wish it away…
Thank you, Brian. Yes, it morphed into a very swift canter of those devilish wishes! I’m glad you enjoyed the ride, and that it got you thinking.
Well I wish I had written this, although I never travel the tube, too crowded, I prefer buses. Still you can be inspired by the characters in the bus. So sad about the guy who died.
Thank you! Yes, the tube is rather a crowded place to be, I agree. As for the poor man… yes, heartbreaking indeed.
Yes, but one life; excellent poetic reminder…
Thank you, Lindy.