Today, I realized that things change with the blink of an eye. The tattoo across my back, particularly the bleeding heart in the center, symbolizes a pivital point in my life, and now, has so much more meaning to it, it's scary.
I've always been able to express myself through the written word better than verbally. My life has lead me down so many paths, taken me into so many storms, taught me so little yet I've learned so much.
In high school, I wrote a poem after I lost two of my dearest friends, Danny Astorga and Dorian Dillard. Both at such a young age and both due to the unforgivable effects of too much alcohol. Today, I found out I lost another friend, and shortly afterward, my nephew. My friend, younger than me, my nephew, still learning the ways of this cruel world.
'Life Is Death' is the name of the poem I wrote. At the time I wrote it, people told me, "Never write about death....no one will listen to it". Well, tons of people listened to it....It's been printed on many funeral documents and brought peace of mind to so many people, I can't even begin to fathom the actual number. I tried to read it today after finding out I had lost yet two more close to me. It had little effect on me, but I think that's because I wrote it almost 15 years ago. It was intended to help me at the time it was written so many years ago. But the more I look at the actual words, the more it is true for us all.
Life is death.
The first breath taken is the step to death.
To live is divine.
To die is destiny.
Some are graced with time
While others receive short tragedies.
But all who are born to die
Are in essence gifted with eternal life.
To the survivor, death is grief.
To those who have passed, it is peace and happiness.
The last breath taken is the first step to eternity.
Death is life.
Simple words, yet so many have found them so powerful....why can't I when I need to the most?
