A flat, monotonous plain is not for me

A flat, monotonous plain is not for me.

I love the mountains and the
babbling brooks that rush
from dizzying heights down
to the unfathomably deep sea.

I choose love—though it is
entwined with loss.

I choose joy—though it is
entwined with sorrow.

I choose peaks—though they are
entwined with valleys.

I choose life—though it is
entwined with death.

Life, glorious life!
To embrace and savor each moment,

to leave my own footprints on
hearts—that’s all
there is—and all I need
to make my life worthwhile.

Aurora Winter