For centuries has mankind
Tried its best to find
A life prolonging elixir
Human beings have lived in fear
Of death, disability, growing old
A long life is more valuable than gold
While modern medicine has allowed
People to live longer without a doubt
There might be something much simpler
That adds years to life as one grows older..
**
For centuries have men and women
In Okinawa ascended to heaven
Later than their counterparts elsewhere
They have a secret that needs to be shared
They all have a purpose in life, an ikigai
That they wake up to, each day under the sky
With a goal in life to strive towards throughout
They have no time to waste, no time to doubt
Their reason for living, that angst existential
Does not plague them as much as the rest of the world
Maybe this is a rule we need to apply
To all our lives, we all need to try
To find that one thing we wake up to
That gives us happiness and fulfillment too.
**
The concept was foreign to me I must say
Until recently, when I stumbled upon it one day
Trying to find ways to live a life of contentment
I found, much to my amazement
That having a purpose in life every day
Could increase your life expectancy unexpectedly
Not being an Okinawa, I am still trying to find
The ikigai that fuels my heart and mind
Maybe it is raising my son to be
As good a human being as he can be
Maybe it is in my role as a healer and physician
Maybe writing something beautiful is my reason
Whatever it is, to find it I shall try
To live a blessed life and prolong my days under the sky!
Passion...unbridled 