There was an old wrinkle upon the smile
of a man who thought he could cheat death.
He lived a rather long life—a life worthwhile—
though in the end, he still had nothing left.
All that remained were the man’s memories,
and even then, they were slowly fading away.
He was holding on to what he believed,
and even then, it was never enough to stay.
He realized that time waits for no one—
that all he had left was one more breath—
and with that last breath, he’d be gone.
Then, perhaps, he could finally rest.
The man’s smile grew more and more,
as he closed his eyes one last time.
He thought of all he ever searched for—
but this was what he would eventually find.
He opened his eyes nearly a century ago,
and saw a future that could be.
He realized that if he was to lose hope,
then he could never truly be free.
This was where he first smiled,
making a difference in his life.
He let his imagination run wild—
to where it opened his eyes.
He thought, If I could do this with others,
then they, too, could live happier lives.
But some of them wouldn’t bother,
no matter how many times he tried.
But to try is all the world, itself.
Without it, there would be no change.
The old toys would be put upon a shelf—
left there, no longer in life’s game.