Sterling Klein

I look around

Noticing the little things around me.

That woman over there,

Do you see her?

She's smiling but her eyes look ready to spill.

And that boy, 

The bald one,

He is not his illness,

For you can see his smiles lighting up the room

As if it was his job to be the strong one.

You can see the pain in his parents faces,

Noticing their son's smiles,

Yet guilty for not protecting their baby.

We all have our own little secrets

You do, they do, as do I.

If we could separate ourselves from our sorrows

As that little boy does,

Would we all not be happier?

He may be suffering, but he is wiser than us all.

He can see that although he may be going through pain,

His life is something that should be celebrated for every day he lives.

Most of us will never get that far.

He knows he could be gone at any moment,

So he smiles,

He treasures each moment.

Is that any different than we are?

We could just as easily be gone tomorrow.

We may not have the same worries and woes,

But we all have the same chance of not being here the next day.

Why do we not treat life like that boy does?

That woman with the sad eyes cannot help it, her life of woe.

But she allowed her woes to consume her.

Those sad parents over-riddled with guilt,

Allowed themselves to take the blame for an unforeseen, uncontrollable circumstance.

That little boy with the shiny head, littered with temporary tattoos,

He acknowledges his woes but allows himself to live.

Despite all of their years of wisdom,

That little boy is the wisest of them all.