So what - You feel like you are turning psycho. So what - You’ve just been kicked out by your wife. So what - You have been mugged the second time now. You should be grateful you are still alive! Big deal - Your poker partner kicked the bucket. Big deal - You blew your paycheck in a dive. Big deal - You saw the punch but couldn’t block it. You should be grateful you are still alive.         Tough luck - you just got roughed up by a bouncer. Tough luck - the nightmares keep you up till five. Tough luck - the tests came back, and you’ve got cancer. You should be grateful you are still alive. Who cares - Last night you passed out on the bleachers. Who cares - You’ve been assaulted with a knife. Who cares - You got hauled out on a stretcher. You should be grateful you are still alive.                 It’s true that all my chances have been squandered. It’s true - I don’t push and I don’t strive. Yes, it’s all true, but one thing makes me wonder: To whom should I be grateful I’m alive?        
© Vadim Astrakhan. Translation, 2011
© Vadim Astrakhan. Performance, 2011