You Think This World Belongs to You?

You think this world belongs to you,

To do with it just as you want to?

How much more foolish can you get,

For, this fact you seem to forget

That you’re just a speck, no more,

Like all others who came before,

And soon from here you will depart,

When you finish playing your part

In this mysterious cosmic play,

For, here forever none can stay.

Yes, very soon it will be your turn

From this earthly plane to return,

This body of yours will turn to dust

(As all such bodies necessarily must),

Back to Earth from whence it came,

For every body this rule’s the same,

Lain in a grave-pit under the ground,

Or as a fistful of ashes scattered around,

And you yourself will be forced to go.

But where? This you just don’t know!

You’re here on Earth for just a while,

Why waste this time in greed and guile,

And on strife, conflict, war and hate,

Ruining thereby your eternal fate,

Acting like Earth’s uncrowned King,

Like its Master who owns everything,

Wanting to do with it as you please?

Ah! This foolishness at once cease,

For else, it might be just too late,

When death ceases its impatient wait,

The misery you’ll face you now don’t know,

But then at last you’ll find it’s truly so.

The time to change would long be past

When death grabs hold of you at last,

With nothing you could do to amend,

So, before it’s late, to these words attend,

If for your fate thereafter you truly care,

For how for eternity you’ll have to fare.