Self Exam

Oblivion, our final destination,
the one we cannot turn from or avoid.
First forced into the world beyond gestation,
appearing superficially annoyed,
we quickly get the hang of it, and weep,
afraid to doze or even catch a wink,
and only later learn to long for sleep,
on nights when we seem cursed to lie and think,
while staring, helpless, into nonexistence,
our outsized brains locked into overdrive,
continuously measuring the distance
to that ignoble end. To be alive,
in constant fear of death, what cruel twist.
The price we pay for knowing we exist.