The Endless

The Endless
by Zeus Martinez

I am the song of mermaids amidst the raging storm.
I am that thirst that is never quenched.
I am that which goes by the name of avarice.
Look for me in the things of beauty and grace and you shall find me.
And if you pass me by without pause for notice, I will reveal your longing for me.
In due time, you shall see my fair-skinned face.



I am the desolate and the desperate.
I am that fleeting moment of hope that dies in the wind.
I am that 11th hour that never comes.
Look for me in the frowns that adorn the faces of the lost and there I will be.
Wherever you are, I shall walk by and stay.
And maybe wink at you for the irony of it all.



I am the eclectic and the insane—madness in its purest form.
I am that thin line between the genius of virtuosos and the lunacy of fools
I am those pair of eyes you see across the padded room.
Look for me in the imaginary and the colorful sounds.
I will cover you in a blanket of delusion and derangement.
And we shall embrace each other until nightfall.



I am the crumbling pillars under ivory towers.
I am that tsunami silently creeping towards the shore.
I am the sound of the crashes of a million crests and troughs.
Look for me in a dying star a million light years away.
I shall tear down the mountains and devour the land.
For I live and breathe on the sheer force of nature.



I am the unchangeable constant.
I am that gift of predetermined bliss and ruin.
I am that goal you never let go of; the drive that will never falter.
Look for me in the hearts of the proud and determined.
I will give you no other choice except this page that I have for you.
I will show you where to go and how to get there.



I am the haze that fogs your mind.
I am that undefined story; the brush of memory and clairvoyance.
I am that nightmare you feed every night.
Look for me when you close your eyes and drift off to slumber.
For I have wonderful, twisted stories to show and tell.
And they will be our little secret to keep.



I am that last 21 grams.
I am that last hopeful breath flowing out of your body.
I am that split-second flash that rides on the hinges of disaster.
Look for me everywhere and around you.
I am here to stay and stay I will.
Hear me whisper, for I am coming to visit you.





I wrote this with the intent to personify poetry. I wanted to be able to describe how poetry encompasses all things and all emotions. This is what I came up with: a tribute to Neil Gaiman's Endless.

Which Endless are you?
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Forever Young

Forever Young

I have thought about it and I have yet to decide--would I rather die young or old.

One of the more practical and vain answers (in my opinion) that I have come across is to die young because you wouldn't have to worry about wrinkles or having too few people to attend your funeral. After all, when you've already left your earthly body, hovering over your wake, why would you want only a handful of your closest and dearest to be there with you. I mean, if I passed away, I would want a whole batch to mourn over me. I'd want my whole village to go and pay their respects to me. I would want the entirety of my co-workers to come visit my remains and cry their hearts out because they lost someone dear. Yeah, that would be so gratifying wouldn't it?

But that will not happen. And if given a choice as to whether I would have an entire multitude come to my funeral or just a handful of my friends, I would choose the latter. I was never the one to attract attention to myself. I'd probably keep to myself if we were the only strangers left in an interview room.

Maybe it's just my nonchalant attitude about not caring at all or it might also be my lack of vanity that makes me want to die an old man. Or maybe it's my love of life that spurs me onward to look forward to whatever experiences and learnings I might find during my journey. There is simply so many things to learn in this lifetime that there are people who die in the middle of expeditions to snow-capped mountains. There are people whose last thought is how they could have made this world into a better place by finding out the cure for cancer. There are people who will close their eyes on their way to the next life and realize that they want to stay a bit longer just so they can know a little more about themselves; so they can give a little more. For some people a lifetime simply is not enough.

Others will let go of their earthly life as freely as a gust of wind blows the autumn leaves into a dance. And then there are some who will try with all their might to hold on to what they have here on this earth and say that they wish they had more time to do the things they wanted to do. Try making an artist quit on his masterpiece and you will have barely glimpsed at what I am trying to say.

I will choose to leave this earthly existence as someone who has done his best; someone who tried to fulfill his wishes as well accomplish each and every thing he has set his mind to. I choose to have the knowledge that I have tried to become someone who is an inspiration to others rather than a fleeting and replaceable memory. Yes, I would agree that a thousand and one friends and relatives might pay their respects to you before you go six feet underground; but people easily forget. People tend to just shake their head in disbelief and remark, "It's such a shame." and then lead their own lives afterwards.

Nowadays, we lack a sincere and profound connection with the people whom we are close with. The pleasantries and good times reach only up to a certain level yet they do not transcend the level of ordinary acquaintances. I would honestly have only ten good friends attend my ceremony rather than have five hundred of my Friendsters show up; more than a half grumbling that they want to get it over with the program.

Quality has always won out for me. I would rather have the people whose lives I've touched be present than have a room full of strangers who really don't know who I am as a person. Ultimately, it's not about the number of breaths we take but the moments that take our breath away. When we pass on this life and when we leave someone who will remember who we are and what we have done for them, we will never die. We will be forever young. The sooner we realize that fact, the sooner we can stop getting busy dying so we can start getting busy living.