Live to Die

Life persists even when time is tried to be stopped

Memories are sewn, locked into place

To forever look back upon

Wishing to turn back down that road

What a life we live, never realizing certain moments

Moments of total pain, are actually moments of pure glory

Enduring and lasting are what makes up the story

Life still goes by, every second, minute, every year

Living for the world, blood, sweat, and tears

Who wants to live the most?

Who can endure the most pain for a lifetime of glory?

We love the people who make the pain seem a little less painful

And a lot more worth it

Pushing, motivating, dying for each other

From the moment it starts we all know that we are going to die

Delirious with pain, but life still goes on

Soon it will all be over with

We will cross that line that will grant us the glory that we deserve

Everything we have ever worked for in our lives comes down to that single moment

Who wants to live the most?

No one ever truly lives until they have died

From the moment that we die, we realize what is to truly be alive.

Author's Notes/Comments: 

This poem was written after going to junior nationals for rowing. Every race I row are some of the most painful moments of my entire life. "what rowers confront is an abyss of pain, which opens up in the second mintue of the race. large needles are being driven into your thigh muscles, while your forearms seem to be splitting. then the pain becomes confused and disorganized, not like the windednees of a runner or the leg burn of the biker but an all over, savage unpleasantness. as you pass the five-hundred meter mark, with three-quarters of the race still to row, you realize with dread that you are not going to make it to the finish, but at the same time the idea of letting your teammates down by not rowing your hardest is unthinkable...therefore, you are going to die. welcome to this life."  

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