White, Dave. Life Tortoise. July 12, 2024, Dave White Illustrations.

I used to wish I’d die so young,
A reckless tune my heart once sung.
A fleeting wish, a whispered dare,
A challenge tossed into thin air.

But time has taught me to refrain,
That life is loss but also gain.
I’ve seen the sorrow, felt the ache,
Yet somehow, love won’t let me break.

What if I left, just disappeared?
Would the world pause? Would echoes hear?
Would stars still shine, would waves still crash?
Would morning come, erasing past?

This week, we buried kids.
Last week, adults.
Next week, teens.
Yet hope still lingers in the in-betweens.

I guess…

For those we’ve lost, for those we keep,
For whispered names in endless sleep,
My heart still aches, but now it mends,
The song still sung, though it transcends.

Would you hate me if I only sighed,
When you told me a loved one died?
Would you judge me if I stayed composed,
When grief knocks twice but finds me closed?

Would you expect my tears to fall,
Like raindrops answering sorrow’s call?
Yet some hearts shatter without a sound,
And love still lingers underground.

I guess…

You’ll think I’m cold, detached, unkind,
But I have scars left behind.
I’ve lost so much, I’ve learned to be,
A little numb yet still set free.

It’s not the healthiest way to heal,
But poetry makes sorrow real.
Better than drowning in silent screams,
Better than losing my fragile dreams.

Maybe I’m broken, maybe a mess,
Or maybe this is life’s true test.
To keep on living, to still confess—
That hope remains, despite the stress.

To love, to lose, yet rise once more,
To stand and face what life has in store.
And though I stumble, though I bend,
I’ll fight to find my strength again.

I guess…

That’s just how we learn to mend.