June 02, 2022

01

I look forward to seeing 
what I can do with the day,
and with the future.

To seeing what can happen,
with my preferences
guiding my choices,
but with other considerations
coming into play as well.

Preferences are not willfully
insistent "gotta haves or else."
They are just preferences,
like hot coffee over warm coffee,
and can be set aside
in favor of compelling alternatives
at any point
in dealing with situations "thus come."

I get up and see what the day brings,
and what I do about it,
and where it goes.

With the freedom to choose my choices,
I do just fine.
When my choices are limited and forced
by the circumstances,
not so much.

I live toward freedom,
which is enhanced
by being able to pay the bills,
and being able to choose
which bills to incur.
When time and chance take that away,
I wonder how I will respond,
and hope to be big about it.

Now, I hope my mind and body
do not go before I do.

–0–

02

Most of the people I know 
are awash in contradictions
and conflicts
they don't know they have.

The live tight little lifeless lives,
thinking they are on top of things
because they structure everything
and can see it all
so they must be on top
looking down.

They are in the cesspool,
holding their breath,
imagining they are on top of things.

If it weren't for denial
they would be in some psych ward.
They are already on large doses
of medication,
which helps them stay on top of things.

We have to dance with our contradictions
and frolic with our conflicts,
laughing at the idea
of ever being free of either.

Quick now, what are your contradictions?
What are your conflicts?
What are the forces of destabilization
at work in your life?
Where are you on the scale 
of balance and harmony?
How is that manifested in the way you live?

Our body is the most obvious reflection
of our degree of balance and harmony.
You can tell by looking
at how well you're doing.

If you want to do better,
you have to sit down,
shut up,
be quiet and empty.
and wait for the contradictions
and conflicts 
to appear.

Oh, there they are!
They are coming to introduce themselves.
Hoping you will ask them to dance.
And frolic.
Far into forever.

Or at least square up with them,
make your peace with them,
befriend them,
be conscious of them
and kind to them
the rest of the way.

–0–