You're not dead until you've died

the little girl sat in her yard
and played with her balloon
she laughed, and jumped and whirled around
until the Winds of Doom
approached her from the northeast west
and stole away her toy
but up she jumped and off she ran
to divert the evil ploy
along the curb she made her way
as fast as she could go
hither and thither, thus she went
she neither stopped, nor did she slow
until there entered in her gaze
a man with hair of white
a brown hat and jacket did he wear
they overcame her sight
"My pretty child," did he say
his teeth missing and yellow
"stop a while and talk to me,
there's a lovely fellow."
he grabbed her arm and sat her down
his weak looking hands were strong
"Now listen to my ghastly tale.
I promise it won't take long."
so down he sat, his wat'ry eyes looked far
and in a twinkling his voice changed
going from old-man-kind to hard
"There i was," the old man said
"sitting there alone.
and lo, he came, the master sir
chewing on his bone.
i said to him, good day! says i
and then he turns his head and says
'i can't imagine why.
the sky is blue, the trees is green
and everything's abloom.
if you're asking me, and though you're not
i'd say a bad day looms'
and off he walked, his small head down
the bone still in his mouth
i wondered what his trouble was
to make him go thus about
a noise i heard so i looked up
and right there in a tree
was the prettiest bird there ever was
if i'd been a bird, i'd be he
and such a pretty song he sang
i thought that i should die
for the music that had hit my hears
was for those worthier than i
but i listened, for i could
to the wond'rously pretty bird
and as i did, i closed my eyes
and spoke ne'ery a word
and suddenly, there flashed to mind
the image of a rose
different from others i'd seen
for it wasn't poetry, but prose
and though 'twas prose and therefore plain
it was as pretty as a paintin
like i'd looked for it my whole dern life
but it was worth the waitin
but then my rose started to wilt
and i just couldn't stop it
i tried and tried and tried again
but down it fell, bit by little bit.
now this whole time the bird had sung
his song of cheery life
but when my rose started to die
he sang a tune of strife
and yet again his song did change
and also did my picture
for in my mind's eye i did see
a wide and long and healthy pasture
full of horses was this field
all of different size and shape
mothers with their little foals
and at those ones i did gape
for there sat one who'd just been born
a brand new life, a miracle
but as i looked, he trembled so
and his tiny legs gave out
he fell to earth with a soft moan
which left room for little doubt
now all the while the bird had sung
his good and awful song
changing pictures in my head
making right things wrong
and as he started the third verse
an idea came to my mind
i opened up my eyes and said
'You've got me in a bind.
i've no idea what you can do
besides this picture thing
why, all i know about you
is you're a bird and you can sing.
you're songs hold power
i know not how
but i want you to stop,
stop this madness now.'
he stopped his song and looked at me
his eyes were bright and smart
'i see you've learned of my strange craft
is it not an art?
for with it, i can bend your will
to any way i want it
i can subdue your every thought
isn't it just marvelous?'
'No,' i said, with hidden rage
'your craft is bad, it's awful.
what you take's not yours to have
people's minds are full.
and here you are, destroying peace,
disrupting happiness
and you think you have the right?
killing what is hapless?
'Ahh, you see it's not like that
it's not like that at all
i like to lift things up so high
so i can see them fall
you see, so many think this world
the one that's all around
is something that they can control
and they lift off the ground
they fly away on pathetic dreams
and lofty hopes of things to come
they think they have the hang of it
until the clock strikes one
though cinderella's dream ends at 12
for an hour, she still believes
she hopes and prays it might come true
but when one comes, she sees
and then she drops, a glorious fall
her dreams all crash into pieces
and for next 100 years
no one knows what peace is.
and simply put, that's what i do
i break the dreams of dreamers
i give them pain and misery
and take their happy streamers;
for all must learn the lesson
to all it must be taught
you never can find joy in life
it neither can be given nor bought.
so mark your lesson well young man
for i'll tell you this one time
your path is wrought with sadness
and you never will be fine.'
and off that horrid bird did fly
into the bright blue sky
i never saw that bird again
and i know the reason why.
now listen well, my little girl,
for this next part is key
if you remember nothing else,
remember this of me
my whole existence was full of pain
i hated more then loved
i saw no hope, nor joy nor light
for i never looked above
but then one day, i saw the sun
hiding behind a cloud
and in that moment, i realized
the light i'd finally found
there's always joy, there's always hope
if you're willing to seek it
and sometimes if you're lucky,
why you might even be it"
and then the old man slowly stood
leaned on his cane and sighed
"live your life and don't forget,
you're not dead until you've died."