Poetry by Charlie Gould

STOP LOOKING

There are reasons for cancers; for doctor's demurs;
Reasons for answers, and reasons for cures.
There are reasons for pain; for life agony;
But they all have stopped being reasons for me.

I have stopped looking for reasons obscure:
For treatments and magic bullets of cure;
For answers for cancers of infinite scope;
For someone, somewhere, to sell me some hope.

I have no real reason for having this thing -
But I still have my reasons for wanting to sing!
There may be no reason - no ultimate rhyme;
But still, there are reasons to cherish my time!

To use it, abuse it, to wring it out dry!
To learn to paint pictures; to learn how to fly!
To wrangle each second of a minute to use;
I know that there isn't even one second to lose!

There just may be reasons for sickness, or health;
And maybe some reasons for material wealth;
But I think the real reason I'm feeling this way,
Is that I've never been promised even - one - extra day!

--Charlie Gould*

*"Works and plays well with others, and does not eat his young."