I sit here at the computer
Contemplating life and its counterpart
There is no middle ground between them
You are alive or dead, no in-between
Throughout life we are faced with trials
Challenges to which we must make decisions
Choices that we have to face for the rest of our lives
For through our choices, our actions,
That is how we are defined, our character
For no matter what we say, what we declare
When push comes to shove, it’s what we do
That is what defines us as what we are
In life there are lessons to be learned
Joy, pain, fear, anger, compassion, confusion
How we experience them is rarely our decision
But how we choose to express them
This is what separates and defines us
Some choose to be open and show it all
Others are more reserved, repressing all they feel inside
And some do it well, always hiding behind a façade
Others stifle emotion until they hit their breaking point
And explode at those around them, as have I
I am an amalgamation of the two types of expression
On one side of my personality, I am open with close friends
Revealing almost all of how I feel, confiding in their discretion
Although, no matter how much I reveal, I am hidden within myself
Inside my shell, this in itself hard to pierce, although not impossible
In my youth, I fear I hurt the ones I cared for most
As the years went by, the ones I cared for hurt me
The karma leaving a bitter taste in my mouth
But ultimately what we do here in the realm of the living
While we breathe, feel, lie, and continue to be mortal
None of that may matter because we all shall perish
Into the dark void of death
I use the word void because we know not what it will bring
Opinions differ, from dark blackness to blinding light
In fire, in ice, but no one really knows
On this level, we are all equal, no man above another
So, in a way, death unifies us all, while dividing
Taking away a life from this world, on to the indefinite
We are all mortal, subjected to the laws of this world
No matter how hard we try to fight them