Today I cried a river
I drowned in my own tears
For a minute or two I tried to swim
Then I succumbed to my own fears
Today I cried a river
I tinted it with blood
Pulled out a knife
And cut in strife
My very own flesh and blood
Today I cried a river
And no one else will know
Because no one saw
The knife I drew
But for a thousand flakes of snow

I live a very melancholy life
And I never really knew why
I would try and try
Watching all my friends reach their skies
Never quite being able to touch mine
My fingertips would brush the clouds
Then I would fall back down
To a world filled to the brim with happiness that never seemed to reach my cup
I'd go up and up and up
Then in an instant I'd fall back down
To my happy little world
My smiling face masking a melancholy frown

the night in which
the dead come alive for a while

only to be frightened
right back to death
by the terrible masks and pumpkins
of the living

it takes us years
to find out how our body works
what it can feel, smell, touch, see, hear
how we can move its limbs
what hurts it, what makes it feel  good

more years are spent
discovering the fathoms of our soul
from murky depths to lofty heights
the scales of feelings, pain, excitement
     love, joy, jealousy, despair,
all our nuanced sensitivities

then we explore
the layers of our mind’s infinite potential
its constant work of making sense
    from the reports of all our senses
so we believe we understand our worlds,
imagine new ones, phantasize about the old

when after all these years
we harbor some illusion
our long experience might be enough
     to straighten all confusion
chances are good we recognize
that all we are is knowledge-misers

we have grown old, but not much wiser

every now and then
I receive emails from former students
with pictures of their newborns

each time
I am deeply touched
that they feel
I would like to know
about their lives’ great events

I reply with loving mails
congratulating them
wishing them much joy
    and patience
with their adorable offsprings

it is just nice to know
that the people
whose lives you shared for a few years
are doing well