The ramblings of a truthful, honest and rational man

a poem about life and death

Death!

It balances on our shoulders, our brittle bones eventually brake into clouds of dust.

Life is quick or do we live life to quick?

Life is pointless or do we live a pointless life?

Socialise with young hipsters, spend you last waking moments in an old person’s home, spend you days playing computer games, drink yourself to death, exercise everyday, eat healthy, smoke three packs of cigarettes every night, go to an office meeting, buy the groceries for the week ahead, write or sing a masterpiece, try and pass a new amendment in the senate, take cocaine, become a priest, make a family, put a bullet in your head or do nothing.

There is no correct answers to these questions, there is no right or wrong! None of it counts to anything once our heart beats for its last time.

 ‘The only absolute knowledge attainable by man is that life is meaningless’

Leo Tolstoy said that.

‘Enjoy life, do what you want to do, live how you want to live.

Live for you loved ones or live for ones self but above all just LIVE!’

I said that.

Reviews

[Reeti]

The strong points in the poem lie on the questions you have put forth- "Life is quick, or do we live life too quick? Life is pointless or do we live a pointless life?" The disparities between indifferent living and felicitously living are prompted to be acknowledged. This verse is highly philosophical where the queries are shown to be ominous in every person's mind. Your own quote at the end is amusing as you have expressed 'i said that'.

This reminds me of Shakespeare's famous quote in Macbeth-

"Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing."

or Socrates' last words- "I know now that i know nothing."

[SHEEMA HUQ]

Absolutely, the ponderings and the bag of the twenty-some- things, re-evaluation comes at any stage of life I guess, and the pursuit of its meaning is endless, enjoyed

[Enigma]

This is brilliant. One of the best prose-poems i have read in a while. It's really powerful and thought provoking. The various possible 'solutions' for the pointlessness of life evoke a judgemental opinion from the reader and yet, ultimately, who are we to judge another's life or decisions.

Superb and quotable lines. I loved it.

[Sunni Davis]

Well said! Life and death are all about perspective.

[Leslie Philibert]

I know Luke`s work, and here you see how well he has developed as a writer, a nice mix of prose-poetry with a beat touch ( hipster ) and a live-for-the-moment last verse , backed up by a fat nihilistic quote from Leo. So a good write here, one of his best.

[Hester Vane]

I agree with what you said!

A deeply meaningful piece and I think the sort of free verse style really helps to convey your views to the reader! Great stuff