Save your own life

"One day you finally knew what you had to do

and began,

though the voices around you kept shouting their bad advice

though the whole house began to tremble

and you felt the old tug at your ankles,

"mend my life," each voice cried

but you didn't stop

you knew what you had to do

though the wind pried with its stiff fingers

at the very foundations

though their melancholy was terrible

it was already late enough

and a wild night

and the road full of fallen branches and stones

but little by little, 

as you left their voices behind

the stars began to burn through the sheets of clouds

and there was a new voice

which you slowly recognized as your own

which kept you company 

as you strolled deeper and deeper into the world

determined to do the only thing you could do

determined to save the only life you could save.

~ Mary Oliver