Two Voices

I said to my soul in sorrow:
“Better to end this life than to endure such pain.
My heart is weary; my name feels lost,
my lot is endless suffering with no friend to hear my cry –
like a bird trapped in a sunless twilight.”
And my soul answered:
“Pain is a night that passes.
Death will come in its time; do not hasten it.
A day of clarity will follow this day of clouds.
Live now, do good now, and trust the dawn to come.
When your hour arrives, we will go together –
your heart at peace, your deeds shining behind you.”