Full Focus Counseling
Scott Thode, MA, LPC
A Life Well Lived
This morning, I woke up, sat on my porch, drank coffee, came back inside, and saw my recently-purchased Charles Bukowski poetry book sitting on the living room table. I turned to a random page, read a few poems, and then stumbled upon one called “everywhere, everywhere.”
The central message of this piece is that so many of us “grimly hold on to our misery” and spend a significant amount of our lives caught up in the “pettiest rancor and hatred.” Bukowski ends the poem with this line: “finally there is nothing for death to take away.”
Kind of sad, isn’t it? Also, probably more common than it should be, right?
I felt the urge to write a poetic rebuttal of sorts. I’m no Bukowski, but I wanted to put into words a reminder to myself that other possibilities exist. Not to mention, this wasn’t exactly the kind of morning reading I wanted to start my day with.
Here’s what I came up with. Thought it might be work the share.
A LIFE WELL LIVED
Be Someone.
Be Useful.
Cultivate Skills and Knowledge.
Continue to Grow
As long as You possibly Can.
Give death
Something to take away.
Pursue Health.
Pursue Connection.
Move Often.
Nourish Wisely.
At least
Make death work
To find You.
Go for It.
Do the Thing.
Contribute.
Honor what’s Important.
And in your Final Moments
Perhaps death can’t conquer
Your Peace.
Maybe
This is what is Meant
By “a Life Well Lived.”
Full Focus Counseling 
This is incredible. You should copyright it and put it on a poster. It sure beats a dangling cat with the “Hang in there” admonition.
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