The Choice

The clock started ticking from that first cute whimper before the screams

And it was always ticking in the background of all that was seen and done

In the middle of the night, tossing and turning through all those dreams

It continued to tick tock away as you missed the signs of the setting sun

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Nobody's ever alone as the ticking grows louder and nearer to your time

All who walk along the valley of the shadows unknown feel it's there

There is the urge, but running won't help; it's not a crime

And the price of doing so comes easily for only those who won't care

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Ticking grows louder, and you won't see the shadows until it's too late

It's no good to succumb to fear now, that time has passed

Perhaps the outcomes are always the same, judgments of the gods of fate

Because sometimes life's simply going to give more than you asked

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But fear not, precious ones, for there is always the end at the buzzer's ring

The tick-tock of it all turns to an alarm, eventually for all

It means it's time for you to look at the truth and accept the thing

It's time for you to answer a call

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It's the call to make that inevitable choice, one that you cannot escape

In some way or shape, it appears before you at a time not of your choosing

It'll require you to decide who you're going to try to be, the tail of tape

But trust those who've come before you, it's a fight worthy of losing

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The hero of the story isn't the one who was perfect for the job, you see

Instead, it's for those willing to try, fail, and try again forever

There was only one option for some; there was no real choice for me

From the moment she announced you, you were worth the rocky weather

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The worry and the fear of tomorrow are always with those who choose right

But it's a choice that those who did would do again without a thought

They knew that it would take every bit of their might

Even at times, more than they've got

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It was the choice

Something they could survive

With fear inside them, they found their big boy or girl voice

And knew they'd keep trying to be there for you, as long as they were alive

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And so you know

They'd do it again

Even if they've had to go

Even in the afterlife, you were their win