“I wish I had started living sooner
I wish I had laughed and loved
and learned to be me
when I was younger
I regret
so much
the things that I was too afraid
to do
the moments I didn’t
live in
the laughter I decided not
to share
only after days worth of climbing
mountains high have I found
what I was missing
and who I am
I am not shy
I am not scared
I am not cowardly
I am not weak
I am not who I thought I was
so maybe I haven’t found
who I am
but at least
I know what I’m not
now I have started
living
and all the sudden,
it’s all I want to do
for on the open ridgelines,
under skies clear, clouded, and condensated,
away from the clutter, complexity, and noise of the world,
and among trees lit up in gold, red, green, and bronze,
crossing streams agleam with sun and moonlight,
seeing things so beautiful and wonderous they
physically ache and you feel it in your very heart
I have realized
that there is nothing more valuable
than feeling the fierce fire
of learning and loving
to live”
