My father says a staircase
(taken in place of an elevator)
extends your life at every step
by a healthy 5 full seconds.
With those, my last 5 seconds,
were the one I loved the most near me
I would ask of him to kiss me
and drown an instant in eternity.
If instead it were my best friend
I would take those last few moments
to try once more to figure out
what color are those eyes of yours.
And if it were my brother
I would ask him just once more
to laugh out loud and giggle
like he did when he was twelve.
If my mother were beside me
I would take the full 5 seconds
to run my fingers through her hair
Or if it were my father
it would all end very simply
with just a quiet hug.
But if I were to be left alone
atop a snow-capped mountain
I would shout full out in victory
though my voice die in the snow
Because at every step in life, for each of its 5 seconds
I managed to surround myself
with the most truthful beauty.
