"What Matters Most"

I spent decades chasing meaning, Driven by the weight of adulthood, To justify my place, earn money, I burned through the years, Ceaseless flame, youth gone. Now I turn to see what I ignored, The laughter whom I'd lost, a smile gone. What is life? If not a fleeting beauty, Of simple joy, A childish heart, wishing of more. We trade our freedom for paychecks, To earn acceptance, claim a place, Yet in the end, success feels bare. We cherish too little, too late. If I could turn back time, I'd like to enjoy the journey. I’d cherish life in all its colorfulness, Work less, play more, and love honestly, To live with grace, to simply be me.