I’m awakened

by the piercing sound of woeful screams

The wind has stopped in recognition of a loss

The sun has dimmed her smile in response to a man’s pain

An exchange seems to have been made

A soul has left a home

And is being replaced by wondering and tears

What is life?

It’s the splitting smiles that demarcate our faces daily

It’s the water puddles that are graced with the happy feet of toddlers

It’s the music that blasts from a vacation ride

It’s the lullaby that hypnotizes loved ones to sleep

What is life?

It’s the hurdles that decorate our days

In the painful comfort of persevered achievements

It’s the longing gaze of lovers trapped in each other’s eyes

It’s the travail that births joy’s first cry

What is life?

It’s the wrinkle lines that carve our inevitable fates

It’s the hand of aid we lend to mend

It’s the privilege to laugh and weep with kin and blood

What is life?

It’s the last goodbye we say in demise.