Who Are You Today?

Very soon you will be gone,
So who are you today?
A brilliant soul or silhouette
Of conscience on display,

The bridge between the hopes and dreams
Of those who call you “Friend,”
A drop of rain that sings the pain
Of sweet, sweet Summer’s end,

The naked eye that stops to cry
Then searches ever more,
The distant ear that strains to hear
The waves upon the shore,

The traveler bound from town to town
Who marks upon the road,
The loving heart that seeks to see
Compassion is bestowed,

The canvas for the golden ink
You scribble line by line,
The darkness of the rapid blink
That lasts for all of time,

The orange of October
And the purple of the sky,
The wonder in a child’s gaze
That makes him question “Why,”

The joyous tears and daunting fears
Of cowards and the brave,
The dreamers and the destinies
Of those you wish to save,

The perfectly imperfect lot
Of stones upon the ground,
The permanence of all that’s lost
In everything you’ve found,

The answers to the questions
That are woven in your mind,
The setting sun for which you run
But always fall behind,

The sober drop of honest truth
You taste upon your tongue,
The bloody passion in your veins
That pleads your song be sung,

And have you held your precious gifts
Or given them away?
For very soon you will be gone,
So who are you today?