It is Strictly Prohibited

This is a personal favorite attributed to Pablo Neruda, Chilean poet, and translated by myself.


Crying without learning,
Getting up one day without knowing what to do,
Being afraid of your memories is strictly prohibited.

Not smiling at your problems,
Not fighting for what you love,
Abandoning it all for fear,
Failing to turn your dreams into reality, is strictly prohibited.

Not showing your love
And making someone else pay your debts and pay for your bad days, is strictly prohibited.

Leaving friends behind,
Not trying to comprehend what you lived together,
Calling them only when you need them, is strictly prohibited.

Not being yourself in front of others,
Acting like people aren't important to you,
Being "the funny guy" only to be remembered,
Forgetting about people who really care about you, is strictly prohibited.

Not doing anything of your own right,
Not believing in God, not making your destiny,
Fear of life and commitments,
Not living every day as if it were your last breath, is strictly prohibited.

Missing someone without cheering up,
Forgetting their eyes, their smile, everything,
Just because your paths have lost their embrace,
Forgetting your past and paying for it with your present, is strictly prohibited.

Not trying to understand people,
Thinking their lives are worth more than yours,
Not knowing that everyone has their own path and happiness, is strictly prohibited.

Not creating your own story,
Ceasing to give thanks to God for your life,
Not having just one moment for the people who need you,
Not understanding that what life gives, life can take away, is strictly prohibited.

Not looking for your own happiness,
Not living your life with a positive attitude,
Not believing that we can be better,
Not feeling that without you, this world would never be the same, is all strictly prohibited.