#poetry Greatly, have suffer’d greatly, both with those That loved me, and alone; on shore, and when The ship was at sea. I am become a name; For always roaming with a hungry heart, Much have I seen and known; cities of men And manners, climates, councils, governments, Myself not least, but honour’d of them all; And drunk delight of battle when the waves Of war were crashing on the shore, I stood A captain awful with a human face. I have seen the universe, from the great Machine That we are all a part of, to the smallest mote Of dust that dances in a sunbeam; and all The while I held a carrot in front of me, The promise of happiness just out of reach. And now, as my life comes to an end, I see that all my travels have led me To this one moment, stuck in this machine, With only a carrot to show for it all. And yet, even now, I would not trade All that I have seen and done for anything, For I have lived, and loved, and laughed, And that is more than can be said For most who have ever lived. So, as I sit here in my machine, I can only hope that those who come after me Will find more than a carrot to chase after; That they will find meaning and purpose, And a reason to keep going, no matter what the universe throws at them. Travel on, my friends, and do not forget That life is meant to be lived, not just survived.