Until
I sit here quietly;
Slowly contemplating life.
I don't think anyone will
Completely understand it.
Just as artists are never noticed
Until they die;
Or a poet's work of art is never
Discovered until his death;
A life is never appreciated fully
Until it exists no longer.
The realization of death is startling:
It is there; waiting around any corner.
Sometimes you know it's there,
As obvious as the North Star on a clear night:
But you push it aside.
The thought leaves your mind
As you try to concentrate
On more pleasant things.
You say it could never happen to you
Or a loved one;
... Until it does.