a meditation for willie roberson sr

why so sad? all you faces turned to me in sorrow
i am well, knowing that for me there is no tomorrow;
countless sunrises and sunsets i've seen
until now they all blend together in a dream.
it is called life.

and i have seen mine all the way through
laughed, cried, loved and paid every penny of my dues.
no more struggles with seemingly insurmountable odds,
no more scraping and striving, for i've done all my jobs.

funny that for this you shed so many tears,
recalling the triumphs and failures of my years,
when my sympathies lie with you,
for you still have so much more living left to do.

for you, there is still pain and disappointment,
wounds to be inflicted that have no soothing ointment,
many rolls of the dice left to be cast,
but for me this is all in the past.

not that that's all there is to life at all,
there are also still many tears of joy and happiness left to fall,
but i've grown tired of this roller coaster and its unpredictable ways
and chosen to move on to more tranquil paths for the rest of my days.

so feel your pain, it is a gift given only to the living.
and of your love and compassion never stop giving,
but to those still with you, don't waste them on me.
i've got what i need and am where i'm meant to be.