This piece was posted by @StJohn over in the hinterlands of the Philosophy & Meaning group. He didn't know the author, so I provided that information. It is such a good piece, I thought all of you might appreciate having a look at it.

ETERNAL

I am here to share a secret-
I am not who I have always been;
The world that lies outstretched before me
Is not the only one I've seen.
I've travelled on the tails of comets,
I've burned up in the hearts of stars,
I've been spat out of supernovas
That left me scattered near and far.
I have dined in distant galaxies
And taught the birds to sing;
I've danced for a whole lifetime
Upon saturn's dusty rings.
I've been here for long enough
To learn what makes willows weep,
I've sung celestial lullabies
That put the moon to sleep.
I've been both the flowing water
And the stone that blocks its way,
I've been frozen and I've been molten
And I'll be again someday.
Though I've been a million things
This is the first one that can smile:
I'm pieces of the universe
Living as human for a while.

~ Erin Hanson

Erin is a young woman from Australia who is a wordsmith extraordinaire.