~~~

this is my opening night.
this is my final performance.

this is the very first poem
I have ever written.
this may be the last poem
I ever write.

I cannot be sure.

so utter these words before you write.
pray this commencement invocation,
each time, every time,
for who can know when it will be
the last curtain call,
for your first may also be your
finale.

you are the architect of an edifice,
that will be tested by time.
before you lay the cornerstone,
before you press the save button...

ask - is the best I can do?

this creation, forever etched upon your face,
will be reflected in the eyes of strangers,
are you satisfied with your appearance?

must answer this question.

is this the best I can do?

must answer this question.

whatever the answer,
you will know what needs doing, before,
before you do it.

This is my first and last poem.