I Choose To Live Poem by jimmy manganda

So I have walked this crazy road and got thus far,
The times have tested me to say the least,
Trials and tribulations all wrapped in a gift box and delivered to my door step,
But I choose live and not exist

‘Shake the box and pick a number' is how some choose to live,
Not me, I will not be a reference in a ballot box, I am me,
They will identify me by my full name when I'm finished here,
For I choose to live and not exist

When I walk I will hold my head to the sky, I will look you in the eye,
When I talk to you I will say my ‘please' and ‘thank you's,
I will give up my seat for the old or pregnant lady on public transport,
Special? Maybe, but I choose to live and not exist.

My family are my life, my heart and my soul; I cherish them,
As much as I can, I tell them how much I love them,
No really, I do tell them how much they mean to me,
One of the many reasons I say I will live and not exist

My heart never gets any warmer than when I see the smile on my niece's face,
Believe me; it's true that angels do share this very same world with us, for she is one,
It's so rewarding to watch how she appreciates every little thing around her
For that I choose to live and not exist


The element of individuality that drives me is the key to integrity,
I choose the good team, not the bad and I am proud to say it,
The reason I wake up every morning and work hard in all I do,
Is that I want to live and not exist, strange but true

Change what you can and accept what you cannot change, my favourite cliché,
So within my power I will go to extreme lengths to do the right thing,
I owe but my life to my destiny and so patiently I wait for my time, and I live my life to the maximum, for existing is not an option

I draw my sword to the world and say ‘hurt my family, I hurt you'
One of the many things I only say because I mean, listen close
My word is my only bond for I am not rich….. yet
Until I am, I live and not exist, then I live some more
Welcome to my world,

Jaye M