Puzzle Piece

A Poem by Joel A Doetsch

I've always had this empty feeling
in my heart.
I've tried many times over the years
to satisfy it

First I became a teacher.
What better way to fill my void
than by educating the leaders
of tomorrow?

I taught them.  I filled their heads
with knowledge.  Every child that
entered my classroom left with
an appreciation of what they
had learned.

Still, when I laid in bed at night,
I felt that emptiness in my soul
sucking up my contentment.
So I stopped teaching

Next, I became an adventurer.
Clearly my last job, while fulfilling
was incredibly boring.  What better
way to fill the void than to feel
the adrenaline rushing through
my head?

I skydived, I wrestled alligators,
I climbed mountains, I pod raced.
I felt more alive than I ever had
before.  It was exhilarating.
Women loved me, men wanted
to be me.

Still.  It didn't fill the void.  I would
go to bed with women whose eyes
were just as empty as I was.  I would
wake up with plastic and rubber.
I stopped thrill seeking.

Next, I became an astronaut.
I clearly needed to complement
excitement with the satisfaction
of doing something good for
the world.

I studied the universe.  I traced
lines along the constellations.
My research was renowned
by scholars worldwide.  With
my help, the world entered
a new paradigm

Still, the void persisted.

I became an architect
and built some of the
most mind-boggling
structures that had
ever been envisioned

I became a doctor
and found the cure
to the diseases of
humanity

I became a poet
and wrote words
that echoed
throughout the ages.

After all I had done
After all I had accomplished
After all the time I had spent

I was still empty.

           Then I looked up
           Then I opened my eyes
           Then I realized

All I had been missing

All this time

Was you.