Why this?

The occasional piece of my own and a generous helping of others' creations I find inspiring. Site is named for a beloved book by one of my favorite writers, Italo Calvino, whose fanciful work lights--and delights--my soul.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Reasons for Living

There aren't that many, surely.
A tiny, crumpled list
you keep in purse or wallet.

Meanwhile, though,
think of your life as a bulky
present you were given
sometime around your first birthday--

You spend your years unwrapping it, perhaps.

Or you finish unwrapping, discover it's a kit,
and spend your years assembling it.

The directions, if that is what they are,
are too confusing, with lots of gaps,
and there are way too many parts.

What you finally manage to put together
may or may not be what the kit intended,
but it's yours, like a pet you never planned to own;
even if you run out of reasons to live
it expects your care and maintenance.

--David Young

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