Black shroud, blue sky, white moon to greet me.

Silence and comfort, they slowly leave me.

Gather your mind, child awaken.

Do you feel the air, the life you take in

As you breathe the breath for reason?

 

My mind, still tired, slowly drifts

Yet I feel my body: it moves, it shifts

In its familiar pattern of yesterday.

Then I recall why I had moved,

I knew in my bones there was so much to do:

 

Smile your greeting, check

Humble your heart, check

Gather your gratitude, check.

All but one have I already crossed off

And may never really be able to do:

That is to realize my reason for waking,

My purpose for moving, for my being too.

 

You ask why I live this life of happiness and sorrow,

I answer “for them.”

For those I love and love me back.

For the reason of their happiness

I must fill all of the cracks

So that they may walk peacefully.

 

You ask why I live this life,

I answer “for the others.”

For those I don’t know and don’t know me back,

For both humans and animals who suffer

From the many things they lack.

I move to save the little that I can

So that in the future we may broaden that span.

 

You ask why I live,

I answer “for me,”

To find who I am and who I am meant to be.

What strange mystery shrouds this motive.