tenets of the most devout
are tempered with a tinge of doubt;
every joyous moment spent
will cost a hundred in lament;
beauty passes in a flash,
reduced to memory and ash;
light and darkness, truth and lies
appear to have familial ties;
remedies could make you ill,
and thistle stalks the daffodil.
How to find the will to live?
Consider the alternative.
