Savour Every Moment

Listen close, my child, beneath these ancient eaves,
Let me tell you a tale, of courage under the leaves.
Alone and lost in a forest, running a frantic race,
Against a tiger's hunger, fear on one man's face.

Scrambling a precipitous cliff, sharp claws to escape,
The snarling hungry predator, leapt with jaws agape.
His lifeline, a fragile root, to which he clung in dread,
Two mice, one white, one black, gnawed the root above his head.

Fear may whisper, shadows creep, but hold on tight, my dear,
Sweetness can bloom where darkness sleeps, chase away the fear.
Every moment, a precious prize, a taste of life's delight,
Find the joy in the open skies, hold onto the light!

Hope seemed to dwindle, fear like a tightening band,
But then, a sight unfolded, a jewel near his hand.
A strawberry, glistening, a burst of sweet surprise,
A promise of purest joy, before his fear-filled eyes.

With trembling fingers, he reached out, plucked the ruby prize,
The promise of its succulence, above the watchful eyes.
He pressed it to his lips, sweetness, a burst of glee,
A symphony of flavours, soothing his misery.

The tartness a reminder, of life's sweet and sour blend,
A moment of pleasure, before the looming end.
The taste lingered on his tongue, juice on his lips thrown,
A simple strawberry, the sweetest berry he had ever known.

The tiger growled and snarled, the mice chewed with all their might,
Yet a peace settled upon him, a newfound, gentle light.
Faced with his own mortality, a truth he came to see,
That joy can abide in the face of death, at the ending of the "me".

This life, my child, is like that precarious root,
Always fleeting, always changing, a constant decline.
But within that flow, beauty like the strawberry can bloom,
A reminder to savour every moment, to chase away the gloom.

Challenges surround us, dangers all must face,
But within the struggle, we find a moment's grace.
Savour the moment, the sunrise, falling rain,
For life's fleeting essence, won't come this way again.

Let go of worry, child, embrace what you can't know,
Find peace in the present moment, let your spirit grow.
Like the man on the cliff, with a taste of pure delight,
Find joy in the journey every day, and hold onto the light.

The tiger teaches us, of struggles we must face,
The mice, a reminder, of time's relentless pace,
The strawberry tells us life is sweet and bright,
We must savour every moment, live each day with all our might.