The Essence of Life

What is it 

that feels so hollow

as if the core were carved away

when we let go of our goals

those fragile pillars

that sustain us in adversity? 


What is it 

that passes so swiftly 

as though a lifetime  

went by in a blink of an eye?

Only in our old age 

do we see how fleeting

our existence truly is 


What is it

that renders life so empty?  

Have we lived in an illusion?

When we stand before mortality 

we come to understand   

life itself is but a dream


By Shih-Fang Wang

From: United States