The Gates
You’ve been handed a key
to the gates of experience.
Now, what are you going to do?
Perception comes limited,
but can be grown.
Inhibitions a substantial side effect,
yet may be tamed.
Morality a noble puzzle,
one that each has to solve.
Mortality a riveting mystery,
so that we may evolve.
Insanity a darkened alley,
that might just lead the way.
Enlightenment a coveted chalice,
though it could be insane.
Wisdom a ubiquitous resource,
widely misunderstood.
Knowledge a most powerful weapon,
used for evil or good.
Heaven an acceptance of self,
to be nurtured inside.
Hell the embracing of ego,
which is best cast aside.
Love forms the shores of survival,
onto which we must swim.
Hate brings a wave of extinction,
where the lighthouse goes dim.
In this life,
we’ll inevitably wander,
on our quest through the dark.
Then in death,
our roamed routes, we may ponder,
as our light disembarks.
But regardless
of the way we are headed,
we must cherish our key.
With the hope
that we’ll learn how to use it,
to live justly, and free.
