to help the species

to help the species(ˈspēsēz, ˈspēSHēz)

at the last breath(breTH)

By Henry H. Walker

a “bucket(ˈbəkət) list” has never particularly appealed(əˈpēl) to me,
the checking off on a list,
almost like a list of chores(CHôr) that need doing,

I do judge(jəj) my life, though,
particularly during the last 57 years,
all that time since my Daddy(ˈdadē) was there,
and suddenly(ˈsədn-lē) wasn’t,

if I’m breathing my last breath,
what will I regret(rəˈɡret)?
what will I be proud of?

when my brother was slipping(slip) away,
I kept seeing him as a little boy,
so scared(ske(ə)rd) of what was coming,

many of us have the dream of a sudden test,
and we’re not prepared,

the concept(ˈkänˌsept) of St.(sānt) Peter works for me,
a way to personify(pərˈsänəˌfī) a celestial(səˈlesCHəl) judge,
who knows my heart, and my actions,
whether I’ve lived well,

karma(ˈkärmə) works just as well,
a sentence we all serve as that of Brahma(ˈbrämə) within
seeks to burn off impurities(imˈpyo͝orədē)
and reach toward clarity(ˈklerədē),

my soul(sōl) wants to learn, to improve myself,
an artificial(ˌärdəˈfiSHəl) natural selection that works
to help our species be worth our time,
I despair(dəˈsper) when others lose(lo͞oz) their way
and choose money and sensory(ˈsensərē) gratification(ˌɡradəfəˈkāSH(ə)n) as their values,

I want the world to be better because I lived,
not indifferent that I am gone.

https://henryspoetry.blogspot.com/2019/07/to-help-species.html