Poems That Inspire Me

The Dash

I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
From the beginning to the end

He noted that first came the date of her birth
And spoke of the second with tears,
But he said that what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years

For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth,
And now only those who loved her know
What that little line is worth

For it matters not, how much we own:
The cars, the house, the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard,
Are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left.
(you could be a " dash at mid-range")

If we could just slow enough to consider
What's true and what is real,
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we've never loved before.

In fact we treat each other with respect,
And more often wear a smile,
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.

So when your eulogy is being read
With your life's actions to rehash
Would you be pleased with the things they have to say
About how you spent your dash ?

Unknown

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