That Which Is Really Cherished Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

To value life,
More than things.
Is a mindset that arrives,
For those who choose to see beyond...
Concepts of victory.
And medals to honor valor.
Bestowed upon temporary stances of glory.
To sit dusting on an ignored mantel.
Erected to cover a natural surface.
With a wish to keep pretensions decorated.

To value life,
And the nourishment of it...
Increases one's awareness,
Of that which is really cherished...
When the threat of it leaving,
Clarifies priorities immediately.
And many folks,
Have yet to have that in their lives addressed.
Especially those consumed by credits and debts.
And living in fear,
Of missing the pettiness of life and all it affords.