My Favorite Poem

Haven't posted in a bit, so to appease the masses, here is one of my all-time favorite poems:

After A While

After a while you learn
the subtle difference between
holding a hand
& chaining a soul.
& you learn that love doesn't mean leaning
& company doesn't always mean security.
& you begin to learn
that kisses aren't contracts
& presents aren't promises
& you begin to accept your defeats
with your head up & your eyes ahead
with the grace of a woman
not the grief of a child.
& you learn
to build all your roads on today
because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans
& futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.
After a while you learn
that even sunshine burns
if you get too much
so you plant your own garden
& decorate your own soul
instead of waiting
for someone to bring you flowers.
& you learn
that you really can endure
that you really do have worth
& you learn
& you learn
with every goodbye you learn.