As the meandering river of fate cascades through
The unyielding terrain of the universal void, 
Liquid life glistening on the astral orbs; 
There stands Conscience, 
At a point of divergence,

Watching intently the 
Numerous offshoots branching from the
Starry stream of a galaxy, flowing as
Far as its metaphysical vision could comprehend;
Thinking to Itself,

“Which, oh, to which stream’s current shall
I cede my skeletal canoe?
Which path, which choice,
Should my weary mortal frame tread –

A cruel road to riches and ever-lasting want,
Or a righteous trail to contentment and unfulfilled need?
A gnarly ascent to fame and a loss of privacy,
Or an idyllic, smooth descent to peaceful oblivion?
A thoroughfare to acclamation built on lies,
Or one toward social exile built on brutal honesty?
O Heavenly Parent, guide your child toward the light.”

At long last, after brooding over the quandary
Till the sun’s eyelids droop;
Though the dread of failure hangs
In the otherwise tranquil yet unsettling silence;
Conscience rolls the dice and chances upon
A stream, a path, an option;
And nudges itself toward it.
Now a fait accompli, the journey
Seemed less unnerving, but
Just as arduous. 

After having travelled a distance that determined
The chosen path a permanent decision,
Conscience camps for the night.
Though its vehicle of flesh goes
Out like a light,
Its mind races to somehow
Convince itself that
It has chosen the path
Accurate for its ambition.
It couldn’t help but wonder
Whether it would regret its pick.

Many a morrow later, when Conscience experienced
The motley mixture of euphoria, contentment and pride
Which comes with the accomplishment of
A life’s purpose in the world,
And a remembrance of the sheer
Determination and effort applied toward
Bringing about change
In a personality, a character, a device of fleeting thought, a soul;
A tiny sliver of thought still voiced its question,
Its topic of rumination:
“What would my fortune have been had I
surrendered to a different current?”

Our choices shape the mind; 
Our risks shape character; 
But our incorporation of change
Into every aspect of our persona, 
Fueled by our mind, character, instinct and conscience: 
That shapes our legacy.