I shall go the way I came



When the curtain rolls down,
On this fleeting life of mine,
And all that I am,
Is a memory passing by...
What will people think of me,
And what will be my legacy?

Will I see a pearly gate,
Or a boat rocked in the gale?
Will my empty heart be weighed,
Against a feather on a scale?
What will then the verdict the be;
What will then become of me?

Put no medals on my chest,
Just tell my folks I did my best.
For I shall go the way I came:
Bearing nothing but my name.

Save your tears for those still alive,
Spare the eulogies for those yet to die.
For I shall go the way I came:
Bearing nothing but my name.

About this poem

Sometimes I wake up at midnight, and I am overwhelmed by my inevitable mortality. What lies beyond? I concluded that no matter what lies after death, our accomplishments meaning nothing in the end.

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Written on November 03, 2022

Submitted by JD.Mags on November 03, 2022

Modified on March 05, 2023

44 sec read
62

Quick analysis:

Scheme xxxabb xcxcbb ddEE xaEE
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 608
Words 148
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 6, 6, 4, 4

J.D. Mags

I spent seven years as a photojournalist. I spend much of my time writing poems, listening to music and thinking about life. I have traveled to numerous countries around the world and realized that people everywhere are the same. more…

All J.D. Mags poems | J.D. Mags Books

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    "I shall go the way I came" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 2 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/145759/i-shall-go-the-way-i-came>.

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