2009 05/21 "If I Knew It Would Be the Last Time"

If I knew it would be the last time
That I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly
And pray the Lord, your soul to keep.

If I knew it would be the last time
That I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
And call you back for one more.

If I knew it would be the last time
I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word,
So I could play them back for one more.

For surely there's always tomorrow
To make up for an oversight,
And we always get a second chance
To make everything right.

There will always be another day
To say our "I love you's",
And certainly there's another chance
To say our "Anything I can do's?"

But just in case I might be wrong,
And today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you
And I hope we never forget,

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
Young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance
You get to hold your loved one tight.

So if you're waiting for tomorrow,
Why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
You'll surely regret one day,

That you didn't take that extra time
For a smile, a hug, or a kiss
And you were too busy to grant someone,
What turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today,
And whisper in their ear,
That you love them very much and
You'll always hold them dear.

この詩は、アメリカ人のノーマ　コーネット　マレック　という女性が、わが子を亡くしたときに書いたものです。

それを、テロのときに追悼集会やテレビで朗読され、「アメリカ同時多発テロで貿易センタービルに一機目が激突したあと、 救助のために最初にビル内に突入した数百名のレスキュー隊の一人」の青年が書いた詩として チェーンメールで勝手に流されてしまったのです。

現在、この詩（英語原詩）の著作権はオーストラリアに住むJudyさんが持っています。