If It Weren't For The Pleasures Of Life Poem by Shalom Freedman

IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE PLEASURES OF LIFE
WHO WOULD WANT TO LIVE?

If it weren't for the pleasures of life
Who would want to live?
There is so much pain after all
And so much disappointment
And so much loss
And so much failing of one's own powers with age?
But when there are still pleasures
However weaker and smaller
Pleasures of eating and drinking
Pleasures of seeing and hearing
Pleasures of just being alive
Of breathing of dreaming of walking of reading
Pleasures of all kinds
However less and diminished
Then even an old man can want to still live
Even if it hurts in many ways
Pleasures of freedom from pain sometimes
Pleasures- diminished small less but nonetheless still real
And wanting to live longing to live among the pleasures and the pains.