To Be Human by Valerie Parente

To learn what it means to be human
to breathe meaning into this life
is all I could ever ask for.

To feel the liberation of selflessness
to want for someone no less than the best
is fulfilling enough to be left unsaid.

To not just go through all the motions
but to grow and thrive with emotion
is the hope I try to vocalize.

To care about a soul other than mine
to grant solace to another mind
is the only answer I would need.

– Valerie Parente (9-30-17)