Alone

Maya Angelou wrote a poem titled 'alone' that I fell in love with upon hearing it in the movie 'Poetic Justice'. It reminded me of a fundamental fact of life, we are all alone. Most of the people around us can't penetrate our cores to get to the point of attaching themselves to us. This leads to all kinds of decisions based on a need to belong and escape loneliness. Maya stated that nobody can make it alone. That emphasizes the need human beings have for companionship, but it's not the easiest state to accomplish. Loneliness is a lot easier than making real friends. Making friends, working, maintaining a family, maintaining a hobby, among other things are all things that we have to do on a daily basis. Sometimes it's a bit overwhelming.

With this in mind, it's quite easy to understand suicide victims. Sometimes the burden gets too heavy to bear all by oneself and we need the lonely walk of life to simply stop being so difficult now. 

Some people are lucky. They never think about the hard questions in life. They simply go through life being ignorant and happy, never searching for deeper meaning, never wanting more than they're able to get at the moment. I used to think they were pitiful but these days I've revised my opinion about them. They're lucky and blessed. Today I came across an English proverb, 'a life in search of happiness is a sure way to misery'. 

There are a few days out of every year when I feel like those people. I enjoy freedom from my mental condominium for a short while then i have to return to my life as it was meant to be. On the days when it gets overwhelming, of course I wish I were different, but on regular days, I am fine with the burden I bear of thinking about questions that have no answers in this life.

Lying, thinking
Last night
How to find my soul a home
Where water is not thirsty
And bread loaf is not stone
I came up with one thing
And I don't believe I'm wrong
That nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.

There are some millionaires
With money they can't use
Their wives run round like banshees
Their children sing the blues
They've got expensive doctors
To cure their hearts of stone.
But nobody
No, nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Now if you listen closely
I'll tell you what I know
Storm clouds are gathering
The wind is gonna blow
The race of man is suffering
And I can hear the moan,
'Cause nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone. 

Maya Angelou

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/alone-6/