Do you pause to count the church bells
to make sure that they're right
Or do you listen to hear the reverberations 
and look for the pigeons in flight

Do you chew your food slowly
and remark on each flavor 
Or do you rush and drink away
all that you could savor

Do you ever stop to photograph the daffodils
that grow thick in the hope of spring
Or must you hurry to your next conquest
not thinking of the brightness they would bring

Do you linger over a passage in a book
scribbling a note in the margin
Or do you keep your ears tuned to the TV
and all the senseless jargon

Do you ever wonder what goes on
in the lives we see on Facebook
Or do you think it's close enough to truth
not bothering to pursue a deeper look

Do you stand at the edge of the ocean
and let the sand be sucked from beneath your toes
Or do you stay within your phone all day
and wonder if you captured your best pose

Do you know the difference between someone who's happy
for themselves
and someone who's living to make someone else happy? 
Can you recognize the look in their eyes? 
Can you see what they need? 
Can you define it yourself? 
Who are YOU, without your husband or children? 
What makes you you, with your flawed teeth that braces never really fixed? 
Can you say the alphabet backwards? Can you drive a boat onto a trailer? 
Can you read music, recite poetry? 
Can you paint the way light falls on water? 
Can you identify tracks in the woods? 
Can you build a fire, bake a cake from scratch without a recipe, navigate your entire house with your eyes closed? 

I want to eat ice cream from a cone and let it drip down my arm
not wondering where I'll find a sink to clean it
I want to dance in the rain and spin around 
to songs only found inside my head
and not worry about the mud on my feet
I want to say what I mean and smile great big
or maybe cry crocodile tears
I want to drink sweet wine and tart beer and all the gin
I want to follow the tuxedo cat to see where it leads
I want to eat pasta at midnight
I want to learn a new game
I want to whisper in your ear
until you laugh hoarsely 
and make promises I wouldn't want you to keep
I want to drive fast cars fast
and wear feather boas and tiaras on a Tuesday
I want to go to strange cities and find new things to love

I don't want to carry responsibilities 
to anyone but myself
I don't want repercussions
and judgement of my selfishness
from those who don't know how to be alive