Vanity

God offered me omnipotence

by giving me a chance to choose

I stood bold stance, and took that chance

to ever walk within his shoes

 

He then offered me five choices

Pleasure, Fame, Riches, Love, and Death

I will have won, when it's all done

so I thought as I caught my breath

 

Then so it was I chose Pleasure

with the thought to enjoy my youth

To run with boys, through all life's joys

happiness was my only truth

 

Pleasures that youth delights upon

were disappointing, then grew cold

Sun setting play, that every day

trickled my fingers through, like gold

 

So once again he came to me

"surely wisdom has found you now

Now choose your fate, it's not too late

as I said, this I will allow"

 

"Fame" I said as he smirked at me

I wish to be a man renowned

To play the game, that touts my name

as one deserving of the crown"

 

But Fame was a fickle master

that led to Envy, Greed and Lust

A shinning star and giant car

that in the end had turned to rust

 

Once more God offered me a choice

of the few things that still remain

"Besides your birth, there's one of worth

try using your heart, not your brain"

 

"Riches then" I did say to him

"surely they can cure all my pain

To do what I can as a man

by amassing what I may gain"

 

Wealth was not the answer I sought

left me with none of what I'd won

When in the end, I had no friend

to rejoice in what I had done

 

So one last time he gave me choice

"Love" I said is what I would like

"A woman's chest, where I may rest

perhaps even a little tyke"

 

The time it passed so quickly by

as I then sat beside her grave

A-wash in tears, for all those years

spent chasing dreams, that none could save

 

"My life has run it's course old man

your final choice is the worst yet"

"My love I lost, at such a cost

all that's left of me is regret"

 

He said "since you have not asked me

for advice on what you should do

I gave Death in a dying breath

to one more deserving than you"

 

" Why won't you grant me rest" I said

"what more is there for me to learn"

" That a life of greed serves no need

live with old age, till it's your turn"

Author's Note

It is always the bitterest of pills That which makes us look at ourselves for who we truly are. Not for the one we wished to be. Like many I am no stranger to vanity.LOL We do not deal much in facts when we are contemplating ourselves.
Life has taught me there are three ways we are perceived.
1. The way we see ourselves
2. The way others see us.
3. The way we truly are

Reviews

[Susan 🦋]

Omgoodness! So much here to contemplate!.. the overall theme is the endless "missed" opportunities granted to us in this lifetime!...and why must it take a lifetime for some of us to finally get it. For me your STAND OUT line is

" I gave Death in a dying breath
to one more deserving than you"
WOW, my take..Heaven, the ultimate reward.
BUT, there IS a hint of understanding....There is always hope when you rise each morning and face a new day! LOVE this!! A wonderful read!!! thank you very much! :-)

[Tate Morgan]

Susan thank you fir stopping by and commenting it's nice to meet you I am Tate

[Susan 🦋]

I really enjoyed this piece! Hope to read more soon.

[Tate Morgan]

Stop by any time I have been absent for some time from here. I go through spurts when i write and then i stop. I am recovering from one of those where I took time to let the well refill itself

[The Analog Kid]

Very introspective and honest. I found the flow very lyrical, which is a departure from your usual style

[Rene Velez]

Brilliant Tate your best so far, at least for me, this hits home more than you know....

[Lily Mae]

This left me speechless..very raw and intense Tate.. xo

[Wendy Seames Garner]

The lessons we all must learn in life. We never seem to listen to advice, we always have to learn for ourselves. Some of us learn those lessons faster than others. As usual, you have written a wonderful, thought provoking poem, Tate!

[Extant]

Saddest of all is when our only freedom is the end, yet we come to a point when that is not a choice, and those who commit suicide are mourned for 'missing out' but also shunned for sinning by wasting the gift given to them. Is it a gift, or a brutal lesson? Truly a pill we must swallow, and the size is painful. Is life our gift from anyone's deity, or a punishment? Is there Earth, Heaven, and Hell? Or just Heaven and Hell, and we have no way to deserve either?

[BrynnaW.]

Loved this so much! When I first saw the choices, I was hoping Death was going to be chosen because Death leads to Heaven for believers and then Pleasure was chosen. I was saying to myself, "No, no, you picked the wrong one. Come on, think!" hahaha. You really got me into the poem. Truth is, most people would pick all of the other choices because Death gives no life. I loved this poem and the ending. You did such a great job on this! Well done and keep on writing!

[Emerald Seas]

Your writing is always a joy to read. There is some moral thought or lesson for us to consider, contemplate for ourselves, and hopefully act in a better manner than before reading your words. A wonderful write, as usual.