breathing's not a choice,
you don't decide to do it
your lungs function on their own volition
so yes you're alive, but have you lived?
do you explore?

many men reflect; to deplore on their death bed
when life's unsure, it's clear that we want to do more
are we alive or simply a corpse scraping  feet along the floor?
with each step, with each breath, are we striving for more?
are we simply in autopilot with no drive
no kick in our step; no jive
"I'm surviving", you do that every day you wake up, eat, and go to sleep

is the highlight of your life that you merely survived?
i refuse to be joy-deprived 
i'm glad you survived, but that's a given

i know you're alive, but are you living?
 

08/22/2023