Life – Page 13 – A Thread You Follow

Completion

In a time of great debt, slowly build 
a reserve of a bit of extra.  Respond
to those demanding a response.
Do so gently.  And, while others carry 
hell, devote yourself to a fairly 
weird act hinting at satisfaction 
though completion lies distant 
around the next unforeseen turn.

The Middle

There IS life in the middle
	though the in-between 
	tends to get lost
	in the midst of the
	glitz of glamor 
	and the angered angst of
	"I didn't have nuthin'
	and look what I made of myself."
	At least,
	middling,
	one can shout the words that dazzle
	and create an idol
	for the audience making them believe
	...as if you still don't have anything
but are doing just fine.

A beginner’s mind

Enjoying the mess of wildflowers
springing up across a well-manicured
lawn.  Seeing masks on the walls
and in the clouds for the first time 
again.  Following the dart of a doe
leaping over the boundary fencing.  
Arriving at the possibility that yesterday
turned the milk sour.  Answering 
the call of the cardinal, What cheer?

Restless Again

The hand of a rich man
spoon feeds information.

Columns fill with check
marks under Items Done.

Poems appear as if dropped
from the hallway ceiling.

Ribbons stream across
doorways of energy.

Interest in the difficulties 
of the righteous wanes.

Problematic lines of scripture
demand rising attention.

Crucial mistakes postpone
entertainment services.

The voice of the mother singing 
"You Are My Sunshine" dwindles.

Nibbles at the Edge

Ordering, I said, "A bit of this 
and a bit of that, please."

She raised her eyebrows.  "You
know, all of this nibbling around
the edges eats at the soul."

I lifted one of my eyebrows.  "I
thought you were an atheist."

"Guffaw," she guffawed.  "Soul
is simply self with a hole."

I called the waiter back, "I'd
like to change my order to a
little bit more of this and a
lot more of that, please."

She smiled.  "I believe you have
perfected the art of ordering
for the sake of our ancestors."

A Sign

Suffering with superiority does not make stories true.
Investing in property when everyone else roams the land
fails to gratify even the deepest pockets of greed.

The brave fail once again to interrogate the trajectory
of their respective narratives which delight in seeking
the smallest story within the story behind the curtain.

Limited possibilities once again delay thoughtful 
seeking after the justice agreed upon by the 
conversation between the fierce and the fearless.

Beggars look for places which don't exist anymore
to stand and hold their cardboard signs for the eyes
of the engaged to fall upon as they drive by.

Sufficient

To be intentional
about my place
on the continuum
adopting a theology
of sufficiency where
one cup of coffee 
and two teaspoons
of sugar are enough 
for my rich blood.

A Marginal Muttering

Those 
who think 
the fastest 
do so 
to avoid
the consequences 
of 
their 
furious
thoughts.

After Collapsing

After collapsing, I cried,
"This day has wiped me out."

She looked over, "Funny.  
I do not see the straw
that broke your back."

I asked, "Are you suggesting 
that I am somehow related 
to camelus dromedarius?"

"Go far enough back and we
all managed to pull ourselves
out of the sea without 
much complaint."

Smiling, I said, "You need
to change careers, as you make
a great same-day, care technician."

She smiled, too.  "I like your 
words when you lie there broken, 
all humped over and distant 
from ecstasy."

To Live

I do not want to live in an infinite 
number of universes at the same time.
My mind...and body...can only handle one.

Instead, I would like to live a thousand thousand lives.
After each life arrives at an end, to begin again in 1965
as someone else, as one who suffers in different
ways and who watches waterfalls with the same
fascination.