Lyrics about a near-death experience, deciding whether to stay here or move on – assuming they’ve been given the choice. **Listen on Spotify, iTunes, or Amazon:** iTunes & Amazon are affiliate links.

I Choose To Live (One More Step) – Lyrics

[Verse 1]

Just one more step to take

I see the finish line

define my destiny

Breathlessly I stop

and wait

Should I cross?

Should I walk?

and pass through heaven’s gate

[Verse 2]

This race is mine to win

but hush…

time creates a pause

staring at this final door

considering this loss,

is there more,

Should I stay

or is it time for me to soar

and let go of yesterday

[Pre-Chorus]

Unsure I cry

choosing home across that threshold

means I’ll have to say goodbye

[Chorus]

Just one more step to take

one more choice to make

carves my stone

and defines my ultimate fate

I need to say goodbye

to this ethereal sky

maybe leaving is easier, maybe not

I begin to cry

[Verse 3]

Beat down by life

I still find strength to stay

although leaving is much easier

but I know that’s not the way

ideas of peace control my feet

but I will not admit defeat

[Bridge]

I return to those I love

I don’t walk through that peaceful gate

resolved I know

there are more

living steps to take

[Final Chorus]

one more step

I cross the clouds

I thought the end was victory

I’ll have to wait to feel complete

until the time is right for me

I choose to stay with bravery

And reluctantly admit

I have much more to learn

So much to offer,

before my soul can quit

I choose to live, I choose to live

🎵 ©2026 DragedaPoemsLyrics (B.T.C) – All Rights Reserved | Original Lyrics Authored: Circa 2000s | Sound Recording: Produced With Digital Assistance (Vocals and Instrumental) 2026. Licensed Digital Composition (Commercial Rights Held).

Story Behind The Lyrics:

I wrote these lyrics on February 27, drawing from a poem I created many years ago—one that still lives inside my published poetry and lyric collection, We Will Have Morning Smiles. When I first wrote that poem in the early 2000s, it carried more than one truth. On the surface, it reflected my own life: the hesitation that comes with chasing dreams, the pause before growth, and that familiar moment when you know there’s one more step you need to take but aren’t sure you’re ready.

Beneath that, though, there was always something deeper. Even back then, the poem held an image of someone standing at the edge of life itself—facing a threshold, unsure whether to move forward or let go. Writing, for me, has always been about stepping forward, and the poem captured both the bravery it takes to pursue a life you want and the stillness that comes when you’re confronted with life’s most profound questions.

When I returned to those words to shape this song, the meaning shifted. This time, the lyrics leaned fully into that deeper layer. They became about someone truly standing at death’s door, caught in that quiet, fragile moment of uncertainty—deciding whether to stay or to move on. The song lives in that pause, in the not knowing, and in the courage it takes to choose life.

Having lost people I love and having witnessed their final moments, I couldn’t help but think about the stories we hear of near-death experiences—of people who describe being given a choice to return. This song honors that idea. It imagines that moment and the strength it takes to say yes, to come back, to continue living.

At the same time, the song still carries the heartbeat of dreams and growth. Life is delicate, and every step matters. In a way, this piece became a bridge between my younger self—pushing forward, chasing possibility—and who I am now, reflecting on loss, choice, and endurance. It’s a reminder that even when everything feels uncertain or overwhelming, taking one more step is an act of courage, and choosing to stay—to keep living—is its own kind of bravery.

One More Step to Take (Poem Version)

Just one more step to take
while finish lines
define destiny
breathlessly I stop
and wait
should I cross?
this race is mine to win…
but hush!
time creates a pause
and as I stare at the gate
In a moment that is now,
I cry
because victory means goodbye
and beat down by persistence
I no longer know why
selfish eyes controlled my feet
so resolute, I return,
and do not cross over
for I have many more steps to take
and reluctantly admit…
a great deal to learn

By Barbara Tremblay Cipak, Copyright Protected

Poem about Destiny: This poem speaks from two angles: The first is the reluctance of a person to move forward in life to grow and to take the next step necessary to leave what’s done behind.

The other is a person whose spirit has left their body and, during their near-death experience, gets to the gates of heaven, realizing they have to go back because they haven’t completed all they’re meant to do. In either case, there’s more to learn.