He stood at the beginning of his life,
Sailing from place to place
They watched him drift, a current flowing downhill—
And now, they are completely gone.

Through the glass of the vase,
I watch droplets slide along the stem.
It was never the tulips I wanted—
only the promise of health.
Like them, I too lean toward decay.

Yet they urge me to linger longer,
with every petal that falls to the table,
with every breath of beauty
I know I’ll ache for
when they finally wither away.

A world of wonder, and still I choose you.
Let’s wander far, perhaps to the flowered banks,
Where the river, entranced, drifts softly by,
Beneath moss-cloaked trees and the hum of bees.
The water I taste is warm and salt.
Above us, the blackbird sings sweetly in the branches.

Born from a waking climate nightmare,
I drifted across the mountain peaks,
Glimpsed the face of God,
And came to rest in a field of lilies.

A turnips, radish, and parsnip delight,
Followed by dessert so sweet—
Eggnog ice cream, golden crumpets,
I’m full, content, complete.
What a beautiful life!

Waiting for the summer’s rain,
I set out for the shining city.
The clouds broke open, rain poured down—
I stepped into joy itself.
What a wonderful life!