TO BE

To be is not to be -- it is
It's yours, it's mine, it's hers, it's his
A gift for me, a gift to share, a gift to give
Something to have, someone to hold, something to live
It's today, not tomorrow or next year
Another time, some other place, it's right here
In your heart, in your mind, in your soul
Not in your office or the bank or monetary goal
The joy of learning, achieving and trying
For feeling, for laughing, for crying
For climbing and reaching and falling
For hearing, for seeing, for crawling
To listen, to speak, to be aware
To have passion, compassion, to care
To be thoughtful, have respect, be respected
To love, be loved, but sometimes rejected
The sweet taste of happiness, the salt of a tear
A salt of joy-- a smell in the air
The sound of children, the sense of spirit, the beauty of flowers
To fly with seagulls, swim with fishes, to daydream for hours
The hope in a sunrise, the calm in sunset
The end of a day, the peace as your eyes shut
Then dream of fantasy, of ecstasy, of today or tomorrow
To wake with good feelings, not anger or sorrow
Each new day you receive the privilege to continue
Know who you are not the costume you fit into
Thank your Mother, thank your Father and whoever your God is
To be is not to be-- it's what has been and what is
To be is not your name, it's not your race
It's not your car or your status, it's not your space
It's all around you, it's above and below
It's not behind you, no regrets,
It's time to go

SCOTT NOVELLO