Now or never

It’s now or never, isn’t it?

When the hourglass finally breaks,

stripping away your illusions.

Now or never every day,

when death starts knocking on your door,

handing reality checks, one after another.

Now or never at every stop,

when the one you long for

with every fibre of your being,

chooses him, or her, or them

over your soft lips, over your loving arms.

Now or never, no matter how clever,

when you realize that you’re all alone

in the middle of the crowd in Times Square…

Now or never with every passing year,

that you run out of breath

trying to blow out candles on a birthday cake…

Now or never in a frightening way,

as you wake up only to realize

that all your potential is going to waste

while life passes you by.

Rose glasses shattered on the floor,

one opportunity after another, lost.

Happiness slips right through your fingers

while chasing someone else’s dreams,

trying to be everything

for someone else’s future husband,

for someone else’s future wife.

Walking on eggshells

until the soles of your feet bleed,

to avoid ruining the mood.

Biting your tongue and making yourself small

to protect someone else’s ego.

Sacrificing yourself

for an imaginary be-all and end-all.

It’s now or never when you look in the mirror

only to find a little child

who hasn’t really lived…

fully aware that she, or he, or them

could die without having really lived.

The faceless guard to someone else’s sanctuary,

without a bucket list, without a dream,

without a clue.