Make sure to live each day in such a way
that if you were to fall off a hundred-foot cliff
and your life flashed before your eyes,
you don’t die of boredom
but from the hard landing.

—Brother Weeps
thesacredbraid.com

Well, that’s the thing, isn’t it?
In the final film of our lives,
we want it all—

the dramatic entrances, the humor,
the scintillating plot with compelling
characters, and, of course, seeing
ourselves in the starring role
as the dashing protagonist.

We do not want the slow pan
over our failures and humiliations,
the bitter exits and deep sadnesses.
(Please, no rehash of the teenage
exploits/less-than-perfect love
affairs/marriages that seemed
so bold, so clever, so romantic
at the time.)

We want uplifting, delightful
with a chuckle or two, before
we hit the end. Which means
we better get to work on filling
in those plot points now,
while we’re still here,
while there’s still time.

Which there is, right?