The Valuable Time of Maturity
by Mário de Andrade

I counted my years
and realized that
I have less time to live by,
than I have lived so far.

I have more past than future.

I feel like that boy who got a bowl of cherries.
At first, he gobbled them,
but when he realized there were only few left,
he began to taste them intensely.

I no longer have time to deal with mediocrity.

I do not want to be in meetings where flamed egos parade.

I am bothered by the envious,
who seek to discredit the most able,
to usurp their places, coveting their seats,
talent, achievements and luck.

I do not have time for endless conversations,
useless to discuss about the lives of others
who are not part of mine.

I no longer have the time to manage
sensitivities of people who despite their chronological age, are immature.
I hate to confront those that struggle for power,
those that ‘do not debate content, just the labels’.

My time has become scarce to debate labels,
I want the essence.

My soul is in a hurry. . .

Not many cherries in my bowl,

I want to live close to human people, very human,
who laugh of their own stumbles,
and away from those turned smug
and overconfident with their triumphs,
away from those filled with self-importance.

The essential is what makes life worthwhile.
And for me, the essentials are enough!

Yes, I’m in a hurry.
I’m in a hurry to live with the intensity that only maturity can give.

I do not intend to waste any of the remaining cherries.

I am sure they will be exquisite, much more than those eaten so far.
My goal is to reach the end satisfied
and at peace with my loved ones and my conscience.

And per Confucius “We have two lives
and the second begins when you realize you only have one.”