In the end,

you learn to stand in the rain.

You learn to sip your drink at the bar

and you pay more attention

to all the people around you

who are drunk on the idea

that life is longer than they think.

In the end,

you find yourself skipping sales ads

and refusing to talk about

current events.

You find yourself up at all hours,

counting down minutes,

and there are never enough

in one day.

So, you use them all.

You spend more time at the park.

You stop driving so much

and you learn to take walks.

The colors of the sunrise and sunset

finally catch your eye.

You realize what living means

for the very first time,

and no matter what you have or

have not done,

you’ll realize you’ve

forgotten something.

You cry.

In the end,

you start speaking your mind,

you find your sense of humor,

and you see with different eyes.

You lose the rose color.

You keep the glasses.

Because you don’t need either

in the next life.