It began quietly, the way honest thoughts often do. Almost a follow-up from last week's intense article about self-discovery.
Tucked under the sheets at 3 a.m. last night, phone glowing in the dark, I opened the notes app and started typing.
I wasn't planning to write anything. I just felt the words pressing in, asking to be let out before sleep could claim them. What came through felt urgent, reflective, and very real — something that needed to be written exactly as it arrived.
At first, the tone felt somber. The questions were heavy. But as the writing continued, something shifted. Without forcing it, a sense of lightness began to weave its way in. Not denial, and not false optimism — just the reminder that even intense questions can exist alongside hope.
These lyrics became Five Minutes of Peace.
Verse One: Are We Being Tested?
The first verse explores a thought many of us have had in our quieter moments — the feeling that life might be some kind of test. As if unseen forces are watching, placing bets on how much we can handle before we crack, adding weight to already full lives just to see what happens next.
It's not a comfortable idea, but it's an honest one. When challenges stack up without pause, it's natural to wonder whether endurance itself is being measured. This verse lingers with that discomfort rather than rushing past it.
Verse Two: Did I Choose This Life?
The second verse shifts perspective and asks a different question altogether. What if this life wasn't assigned to us? What if we chose it?
Here, the idea of being an angel on a grand expedition comes into play — willingly stepping into a difficult life for the sake of growth or learning. And then, midway through, I realized just how exhausting that choice feels. There's a hint of humor in the self-awareness, a moment of wondering what we were thinking, and the very human desire for an intermission.
Verse Three: Is This Karma?
The third verse turns toward karma — the belief that life may be about balancing energies and settling accounts. Are we here to clean up what came before? To answer for past actions, past choices, or even inherited weight we didn't personally create?
This verse doesn't offer judgment or certainty. It simply acknowledges the possibility and complexity of understanding why life unfolds as it does.
The Chorus: Peace for Everyone I Love
The chorus opens outward. The five minutes of peace being asked for isn't just personal relief — it's a moment that includes my children, my family, my friends, and the wider world all at once. True peace, for me, only exists when the people I love are safe, and when the world they move through feels calm as well.
It's a utopian idea, and I'm aware of that. But that's what makes it meaningful. For five minutes, darkness is defeated not because it's ignored, but because it isn't touching anyone. There's no need to send good vibes or wish things better — everything already is. For those five minutes, everything is right, everywhere, all at once.
The Ending: Letting Go of the Labels
By the end, the need for answers softens. The lyrics don't land on being a misfit, an angel, or a soul working through karma. Instead, they arrive at something simpler and more forgiving.
I'm just a girl here to learn — from the love, the chaos, the beauty, and the drama that come with being human. No cosmic labels required. No final explanations needed.
Why I Shared This
This lyric video holds contrast. It asks heavy questions without becoming heavy itself. It allows seriousness to exist alongside brightness, intensity alongside hope. That balance reflects how the lyrics came to life — in the quiet of the night, shaped by curiosity rather than certainty.
Sometimes, five minutes is all we need.
And sometimes, writing it down at 3 a.m. is enough to remind us that we're not alone in asking why life gives us so much to carry.
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50 Years of My Poems and Lyrics are on Amazon, Where Available.

























It is so amazing how you are able to reveal your deepest, most inner thoughts through putting lyrics to music and let them out with your lovely voice. YOU continue to amaze me, Barbara.
ReplyDeleteI do appreciate the interludes of peace in the midst of chaos and drama. We do fight, learn, accept, move on, etc in this life. The 5 minutes of peace sounds like heaven to me :)
ReplyDeleteYour ability to view life through a holistic and spiritual lens is always so inspiring, and your ability to articulate that perspective so simply yet eloquently is a true gift to us all. Thank you, dear friend! 💗
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