• Time passes by
    And the years fade into the distance
    I look into the mirror and see a young boy
    Full of hope and potential
    A few moments later I stare again at my reflection
    And I see a young teenager
    Enthusiastic and full of life
    Tasting love for the first time
    Preparing to step into adulthood
    Ready to take on the responsibilities that adulthood brings
    I stare again at the mirror
    My past lives reflected back at me
    I see a young adult
    Taking his first steps in the world
    Learning how to interact and build a future
    Hoping to find a partner to share his life with
    Again I look into the mirror
    This time the adult is older
    Just turned thirty
    The stress lines are starting to appear
    Hope has faded to cynicism
    The relationships have all ended badly
    A breakdown is just around the corner
    As I look into the mirror
    I see a sad young man on a mental ward
    Trying to come to terms with the pressures of life
    The figure looks lost and forlorn
    Will he put the pieces back together again?
    Another glance at the mirror
    This time the figure is nearly forty
    There is a distant look in his eyes
    Dreaming of what might have been
    There is an attitude of acceptance and resignation
    Life is a hard battle and sometimes you lose
    Just living out the remaining years
    Another glance at the mirror
    this time the figure appears much older
    The adult is now an old man of sixty-five
    There is a look of fear in his eyes
    His family have passed on and he is all alone
    Only distant relatives remain and they were never close
    The fear is of what lies ahead
    Pain and suffering and death
    As I look again in the mirror
    I see a grave and a gravestone
    Only two or three people at the funeral service
    A sad end to a life
    And as he gasped his last breath
    Fear was still close at hand
    What faced him after death?
    Would his soul face damnation
    For wasting the gift of life?
    The gates of heaven would be slammed shut in his face
    A soul without a home too afraid to enter into hell
    A soul endlessly searching for redemption but time has run out
    A never-ending period of purgatory
    A tormented soul without hope of redemption
    As I look into the mirror I see my true self
    Tears roll down my cheeks
    I have seen my fate and it frightens me
    Please guide me towards the path of salvation