What Do I Really Want? Poem by Shalom Freedman

WHAT DO I REALLY WANT?

What do I really want?
I am not sure I know
To go on living?
To be remembered after I am dead?
To have my work live after I am dead?
To be great honored forever?
How can I care about such an absurd thing?
What do I want really?
I don't know
And why do I want something more something beyond
What I have now?
Why can't I simply be happy
With what I have and what I have done?
And try to live the rest of my life
In a happy way as I can?
Why do I need so much
Something which I really do not know the nature of exactly?

So I won't live forever
And my work will not live forever
And I won't be great
And I won't be remembered
So what?
Aren't I still just a person also?
Wouldn't I be happy just to go on as I am now
Going on and on and on
Without paralyzing sickness

I do not know
But it seems to me I will die wanting
Something I cannot define
And regretting I have not reached it.