"Life is Pain, Anybody who says otherwise is selling something."

Life is Pain,
cruelty and hurt,
harsh words,
the inhumanity
of man.

Life is Pain,
love fading,
closeness held in the heart
of one,
but not two
love lost.

Life is Pain,
dreams shattered,
hopes scattered,
shifting sands of fate
betray the promises
of yesterday
into a dark tomorrow.

And then...
And then a lesson learned.
In Pain.

And then...
And then to know this truth,
That Pain,
Pain can become
Pleasure.

Agony is just one
one small step removed
from excstacy.

So...

Life is Pain
like the phoenix from the ashes,
like the iron forged in fire
the smith heats,
beats,
pounds,
and then...
polishes
into gleaming,
strong,
beautiful Life.

Life is Pain
and the potter molds
and folds
and kneads his clay
fires it hot,
near unbearable
that heat
once,
twice,
almost melting, glowing, burning,
and beauty
comes forth.

And only,
only when the night is dark
so dark
no lamp to shine,
no lightbulb,
no candle,
velvet black, dark as despair,
only then
is the glory!
of stars, diamond bright
spilled
in streams of dancing light.

And the heart sings!
sings to see them,
bright hope on
black despair.

Life is Pain.
Life is Joy.