SIGNIFICANCE

     Before I die I hope to signify
     That how I’ve used my mind was for the best,
     That I’ve asked not just who and how but why,
     And my profound inquiries have been blessed:

     Why are we here, and why have we the power
     Of conscious intellect to comprehend
     The universe and savor every flower,
     Knowing our beginning and our end?

     No other earthly creature has such scope
     Of aptitude and possibility,
     And through our history we’ve learned to grope
     And grasp at meaning in this mystery.

          If I, before my end, could fathom this,
          I’d happily descend in death’s abyss.

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