"On Letting Go" [by Lera Auerbach]

Yes, it must be a good thing.

Yes, I think so.
I recommend it.

First, let go of your dream – 
The one that keeps you awake at night,
That restless yearning, 
needing want.

Now you can sleep soundly.

Then – let go of your ambition – 
You are fine as is, 
You’ve certainly accomplished a lot.
Striving for more will lead you to trouble.
Besides, it’s never enough anyway.

These are large concepts – so

let go of smaller things:
talks with your neighbors, 
exotic vacation, invitations and 
that fat novel you never quite finished.

Empty your pockets: 
let go of receipts, spare change, 
old letters, photographs of places
you will never go back to.

Throw away old furniture, 
clothes two sizes too small or too large,
Paperback books, 
telephone numbers,

Let go of your memories;
dull stings of the past.

Don’t you feel tired 
of this aging body, 
of that same face, 
the daily betrayals of reflections?

Let go of life itself –  
what’s left?
Can you still  

imagine 
a perfect moment?

Let go. 
You are tired. 
You are so very tired.
And the empty skies are waiting.

-- Lera Auerbach