Dust if you must, but wouldn't it be be better
To paint a picture or write a letter,
Bake a cake or plant a seed,
Ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but there's not much time,
With rivers to swim and mountains to climb,
Music to hear and books to read,
Friends to cherish and life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world's out there
With the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair,
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain.
This day will not come around again.

dust if you must, but bear in mind,
Old age will come and it's not kind.
And when you go - and go you must -
You, yourself will make more dust.

- Rose Milligan

I was beautiful once.

No lines creased my face,
No grey streaked my hair;
My eyes were bright,
My voice was loud.

I used to dance;
To sing
And command every ear to listen.

Yes, I was beautiful,
But every fire has to burn away.

There's something about the way
The early morning air tastes
When you're up before the dawn
Slowly making your journey
Along the side of a mountain

There's something to be said
About all the individuals
Forging their way in the world
Attempting to create meaning
Out of a meaningless galaxy

There's something about how
Your eyes linger on mine
How we're somehow connected
Even within the silence

There's something about
The cosmos and it's mysteries
A spiral of stars lighting up
The dark midnight backdrop
How we often forget to appreciate
All this beauty right above us

There's something about the way
Children are so enthusiastic
Of all their surroundings
Holding this wonder
For all around them
A curiosity and sense of adventure
We somehow unfortunately lose
More and more every year

There's something to be acknowledged
In how every human being on the planet
Is completely unique and unlike anyone else
A multitude of qualities and traits
Yet somehow, we are able to find
Friends and loved ones
Akin with our own spirits
Those who are more ourselves
Than even we are

There's something about the way
Precipitation falls down in droplets
Creating melodies on our windowpanes
Drizzling and misting over everything
Making the earth
Feel fresh and new again