Why Am I

The delicate flowers blow on the bough And fragrance and color bestow The symphony of chirping birds resound in valleys and fields Gigantic clouds bring rains and enriched soil yields

Light and warmth is the sun's gift and the moon gifts its glow When ice melts on high mountains underneath them rivers flow All the things have a purpose, each a role to play What is the purpose of my being? I beseech someone say

Have I any greater purpose; have I a greater role? Or eat, drink and be merry is my life's object sole My youthful days and love life are shorter than a wink Like Socrates the hemlock of death will be served to me to drink

Life has what meaning for me, tell me what it's for What if I have meager means or have resources more Happiness always distances when love remains apart My chest becomes a target for the anguish's lethal dart

What is the purpose of my being; how I long to know To the soul's stark darkness give the vision's glow

Sintra, Portugal – Sept. 1, 2013.