Decay

Everything decays

Everything’s worn thin

Too bad

I can’t be new again

*

Everything disintegrates

Everything breaks down

Too bad

I can’t stay around

*

Life is just a compost pile

Filled with decomposing bile

Life is just a wilting flower

Cannot fight against its power

Rust on a forgotten car

Cannot change the way things are

Everything is all for naught

It will all someday be forgot

*

Ever notice how we humans tend to fight so hard against things that we cannot change?

I’m not referring to protesters who have no chance at changing world events, lobbying groups who have no chance at winning legislative support, or kids who are trapped under their parent’s wishes. I’m talking about life itself.

Everything in the universe is in a state of decay. Everything is being used up, be it food being used up as energy or atoms being broken down by the nuclear reactions in stars. Everything is in a state of decomposition.

Even the whole cycle of life here on earth is based on decay. Plants decay and provide nutrients to the soil. The soil provides nutrients to other plants that are food for either us, or other creatures. We eat some of the other creatures and they are broken down by our bodies (an accelerated version of decomposition). We in turn, although trying to live as long as possible, die and decay and start the process all over again.

Life, as we know it, is an attempt to fight as long as possible against that which we cannot prevail. As hard as we try, whether we watch what we eat, or exercise, or have regular visits to the doctor, we cannot prevent ourselves from decaying. In fact, the entire aging process is a form of decay but we just give it a different name in order to make ourselves feel better.

Everything that we do or build is constantly under the threat of being broken down, and so we fight against it. If left to itself, all of the things that we consider to be our greatest achievements will be turned to nothing. Our buildings have to be constantly maintained or they fall apart. Our roads, even if not driven on, are quickly broken down by the weather and plants and such. Cars will turn to heaps of rust if not cared for by us. We design refrigerators and Zip-Lock bags to keep things from spoiling. We even employ a vast force of people, called maintenance men (or women) whose entire job is to fight off this inevitable force.

This futile attempt to keep things from decaying and breaking down is what we call “life.” We try to prolong life and keep buildings standing and cars running and everything like it was new, even though the most basic principals of the universe are constantly against us and will eventually overcome.

I guess I just find it funny how people so instinctively fight loosing battles.

*

“Just a reflection

Just a glimpse

Just a little reminder

Of all the what abouts

And all the might have

could have beens

Another day

Some other way

But not another reason to continue

And now you’re one of us

The wretched

*

The hopes and prays

The better day

The far aways

Forget it

*

It didn’t turn out the way you wanted it to

It didn’t turn out the way you wanted it, did it?

It didn’t turn out the way you wanted it to

It didn’t turn out the way you wanted it, did it?

*

Now you know

This is what it feels like

Now you know

This is what it feels like”

*

Nine Inch Nails