It is now Forbidden

by Pablo Neruda

It is now forbidden

to cry without learning;

to wake up one day

and no longer have dreams;

to become afraid

of your own memories…

It is now forbidden

to not smile

in the face of adversity;

to stop fighting

for those who you love;

to abandon it all

because of your fears;

or to give up in making

your own dreams come true.

It is now forbidden
to pretend we don’t need

understanding each other;

to place less value

in the lives of others;

to ignore each of us
has a unique path to joy...

It is now forbidden

to give up on happiness,

to abandon optimism,
to quit improving ourselves;

to believe the world

will be a better place without you.

 Pablo Neruda 1956