A Temporary Gift

Reflections

A short poem about life experience, A Temporary Gift reflects on a significant aspect of human nature: we often perceive the beauty of a moment only after it has passed. In the opening lines, the poet says, I only knew how beautiful it was / After the door closed for good. The image of a closing door suggests finality. Once something we took for granted is gone, we finally see its worth and may long for its return.

The poem continues this theme by focusing on human relationships. The home, the neighborhood, even a simple music box become symbols of moments that cannot be reclaimed. The lines No music box ever played a melody / As charming as the one I didn’t buy hint at small regrets — everyday choices that seem trivial at the time but later take on meaning.

In the final stanza, memory deepens into something more intimate. The words You said that we were poor are answered by the conviction: We are rich already. The richness described here is not financial but emotional and psychological — the sense of security and mental well-being that shared time can create. The poem suggests that this kind of wealth is often invisible while we are still living within it.

This is a meditation on impermanence — and on recognizing the gifts we are given while we still can.

Affirmation

This moment is enough. My life has richness and meaning. I am open to seeing it and appreciating it.