World Beyblade Organization by Fighting Spirits Inc.

Another day, another poem...

"Twine"

O, is life a string, alight at both ends,
Or an hourglass turned upon its head?
Hanging in the balance, falling like sands,
We chase youth and find only death instead.

We are mere cowards, living on the fringe;
Oblivious as time slips through our hands.
Made aware of our end only when singed
By the searing graze of a burning strand.

Yet when we see our forms begin to fray,
Our once-sightless eyes finally open;
Faced with the end, only then can we say:
By denial of death we have been broken.

O, is life a string, alight at both ends,
Or a burnt bridge, to which heaven extends?

----

I was recently told that my Mother has cancer, and while it's mild and early enough that it most likely won't be life-threatening, the ideas of mortality and the frailty of life have been weighing heavily on my mind. That's where this piece came from.

Roan,

I'm so sorry that this has happened to your mother and your family. I know from personal experience that this can be a very scary and emotionally draining time, and I wish you love, strength and support.

I found your poem to be a touching expression of your thoughts and feelings and wanted to thank you for sharing both.

Arupaeo

Some people have difficulty expressing their emotions at times like this. I think that you do a wonderful job of explaining how you feel. I also find that you seem to have near no difficulty comig up with expressions of life, such as an hourglass, or sand slipping away. I've always thought that sand was one of the few ways to do life literary justice correctly. You do a wonderful job, and it brings a melancholy smile to my face. What I mean to say is, this is a beautiful poem, and I'm sorry that you had to go through a cancer scare, even if you can prevent it from spreading.

Thanks for the kind words guys, I truly do appreciate it. However, I'm not looking for or asking for sympathy, and the only reason I included the quip about my Mom is because I wanted to give the poem some context.