Who from among you will stand and say you've lived?
And who from among you does not simply drift
Through the swell and ebb and flood of life,
Who has drained the good in life?

Who has lived the city
more than thinking it shitty,
Seen through the mist and fog,
Seen the princess who kissed the frog
And saw her broken, tragic life
turn into a dazzling array of life
A rubied heart, a silver soul,
A mind, once confused, returning whole.

Who has seen life for what it is and lived?
And who, from among you, does not simply drift
through it,
Not caring who it is,
but believing what it sees -
the fog and mist.
Whose missed the old man who kissed
his fair Juliet on the lips,
And yet who let her fair hand slip,
and now sits
by the fireside
looking into black and white memories,
Wishing
now facing death
he could go back once more
and feel her breath against his back once more
as they embraced for the last time,
never to look back.
Each knowing they would

Who from among you will stand and say that you have lived without regrets?
Who has wagered on life,
and returned with all bets,
Seen visions and dreams that while not real yet
Were not resented for their distance,
Were not doubted for their chance,
Were achieved independently, with accepted assistance,
And then shared with all others who would join in the dance.

Who from among you will stand and say you have lived?
And who from among you does not simply drift
Through the ebb and flood of life
Who has drained the good in life?
from the soul within,
That's large as the mightiest star or sun
glistening from the head of a pin.



Added - two possible extra stanza's:

Who from among you will stand and say you’ve lived
And who from among you does not simply drift
through it
not caring who it is
but believing what it sees.
Who missed the plea’s of the aching man
whose breaking back
was doomed to snap
time and time again;
who walks the streets,
torn paper bags,
in place of workman’s hands;
while businessmen raised their blood filled glasses
and crack open packets of bread
trying to deafen the noise of the silence
from those their earnings left for dead.

Who from among you will stand and say you’ve lived life
to the full;
who’s captured each passing moment
as though it were your last
and loved each passing partner as though they were your first;
Who’s risen above the noise and clamour?
Seen beauty more than just glamour
Felt loving hands tremor
though they’re warm in mid December;
Who’s spoken to all they remember
Who’s called on the strength of their past
to fan dreams, that though now are fading embers,
We’d once sworn we'd defend to the last.