Diktet "The dash"

[Anonym bruker]

I read of a man who stood to speak

 

at the funeral of a friend.

 

He referred to the dates on her tombstone

 

from the beginning to the end.

 

.

 

He noted that first came the date of her birth

 

and spoke of the following date with tears,

 

but he said what mattered most of all

 

was the dash between those years.

 

.

 

For that dash represents all the time

 

that she spent alive on earth,

 

and now only those who loved her

 

know what that little line is worth.

 

.

 

For it matters not, how much we own;

 

the cars… the house… the cash.

 

What matters is how we live and love

 

and how we spend our dash. S

 

.

 

So think about this long and hard:

 

Are there things you’d like to change?

 

For you never know how much time is left,

 

you could be at «dash mid-range».

 

.

 

If we could just slow down enough

 

to consider what’s true and real,

 

and always try to understand

 

the way other people feel.

 

.

 

And be less quick to anger

 

and show appreciation more,

 

and love the people in our lives

 

like we’ve never loved before.

 

.

 

If we treat each other with respect

 

and more often wear a smile,

 

remembering that this special dash

 

might only last a little while.

 

.

 

So, when your eulogy’s being read

 

with your life’s actions to rehash,

 

could you be proud of the things they say

 

about how you spent your dash?

 

.

 

Linda Ellis