Circumstance after circumstance
A cascade of events
Moment to moment
Linked together
In time and space
If such things exist
Do we wear the entire necklace
Of the chapters of our lives
Proudly on our necks
Exposed to every passerby
Do we cut off inconvenient portions
Those that are too heavy to bear
Those that prick our collarbone
The sharps
The jagged edges
The uncomfortable curves
Do they need to go in the trash
Or do we need to celebrate them
Those imperfections
The tarnished parts
I say
Let the whole necklace shine bright
Exposed to the sun, the moon and the stars
Let it soak in the rain
Let it burn in the fire
Let it freeze in the ice
Let it truly represent a life that was lived.