The Joy of Gratitude

How many times has it happened,
That you didn't know why you're sad?
How life has been bartered,
For those fun moments you've had?

How many people have lived,
In the shadow of their insolence?
How many people have died,
In the light of their innocence?

How do people live in the present,
When the future may seem so bleak?
Why would they go on to defend,
Their actions that are so weak?

How then do you conceive,
An idea that will change your life?
How then do you receive,
Acknowledgment in the midst of strife?

There is but one simple truth,
A truth that's been long forgotten,
A truth that would leave you mute,
And elevate you from being rotten.

What if you could forge relationships,
That would last you a lifetime?
What if you could make someone smile,
Amidst a flood of tears?
What if you could cheat death,
Long enough to say I love you?
What if you could be remembered,
As a light that shines through the dark?
What if you could change a life,
With a single deed of kindness?
What if by being grateful,
All this were possible?