What defines life? What defines happiness? What defines perfection? These are some of the various questions that are addressed in "The Perfect Life" by John Koethe. He describes what it is like to live without worries, to feel invincible, powerful, and grand. To have a satisfactory life, even if it means living without expectations. This describes a young and inexperienced person's view of the world and how they live carefree, simply wandering about and enjoying the simple pleasures life throws in their path.
As people grow and mature, they catch up with reality and they are forced to face the ugly truth. They ultimately reach the point where, just like the main character of Dante's Inferno, they enter a mid-life crisis and cannot seem to find their way any longer. As time goes by, they remember those times when they lived without regrets, where there was a greater quantity of “future” than “past”. They start to realize that they should have taken advantage of those moments, because when life ends, all is left behind and eventually forgotten. They reach the realization that they no longer have enough time, and that they always had the life they had dreamed of.
The biggest message I got from this poem came from the first couple of lines, where the author states “I have a perfect life. It isn’t much, but it’s enough for me.” It shows how you can be happy with anything and everything if you simply appreciate what you have. It made me reflect upon my own life and be grateful for all it has given me, regardless of how small or insignificant it may seem. Attitude makes a difference, and it can even change your whole life if you let it. The things in your life are worth what you make of them, all you need is a smile on your face and a positive outlook in order for you to have a “Perfect Life”.
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