I Lived I saw – A Poem By David Ritter

I Lived I Saw

I’ve lived long enough to feel the gloom
from a world that’s full of pain,
and I saw a rosebud fail to bloom
when tears replaced the rain.

And I saw the hope of a warm spring
ruined by a blanket of snow,
just like when I had love to bring
but had nowhere to go.

I lived in a world that failed to see
one leaf that fell to the ground,
or listen for the bird in the tree
that no longer makes a sound.

I saw at night the brightest star
succumb to the blackest of nights,
and I too fell way too far
when darkness replaced my light.

I lived in a world that did not care
how alone I felt inside,
unable to find the words for prayer
when the love I had had died.

Then one day I changed my thought
about the world that I could see,
and learned that the heartache I had fought
was only caused by me.

So I decided to change that grateful day,
and my life has become just fine,
when I learned I cannot change their ways —
but I certainly can learn to change mine.

— David Ritter