The Other Side

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What's that feeling when you stand beside a casket; 
When your eyes look onto someone you know is long gone;
Your heart begins to fall to pieces;
And a part of your soul breaks away?
 
What's that feeling when a loved one walks out the door;
Leaving it firmly locked behind them;
Never looking back?
 
What's that feeling when you see a child with big, round eyes but a small stomach;
Looking for a scrap;
Hoping, though you have nothing to give?
 
What's that feeling when a 747 jet deploys;
Carrying men;
Transporting metal guns;
Not knowing who will return?
 
It's death.
It's pain.
It's sadness.
It's war.
It's all the bad in the world.
 
Why can't we erase it?
Turn to the shooting stars;
Wish for peace,
End hunger,
Creat love,
Promote health.
 
I want to do that.
I want to change it.
I want those things to be gone.
 
But I can't change it.
I simply can't.
If all the bad we're erased, the good would be, too
 
We only know light because of dark;
Up because of down;
Happy because of sad;
Right because of wrong;
And on and on and on. 
 
We need perspective.
 
A valley reminds us there are still mountains.
A moon shows us there is a sun.
Our present helps us remember we've had a past.
 
If the opposites disappeared, 
What would be left?
If I changed all the bad things, 
The good would no longer be good.
 
It. Would. Just. Be.
 
But I don't want to just be.
I want to live;
Enjoy the ride;
The lights and darks;
The ups and downs;
The happy and sad;
The rights and wrongs;
The goods and bads.
 
Because what's that feeling when a challenge is overcome?
When a war is fought and won?
What's that feeling when an abandoned child receives a home?
When a poor man receives a loan?
 
It's perspective, my friend.
 
The other side of bad is good.
And it's not an easy journey to get there,
But it's always worth it to push through the pain.
 
So, no.
I will not change the bad.
I will not erase it from our world.
 
But, oh, how I wish,
I wish hard,
And I wish strong,
That I could change perspective,
Because then the goods will seem that much sweeter.
 

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