This morning
a mourning dove has
chased the marsh birds song
replacing it with its own
most melancholy tune,
singing from the chimney,
from dawn to noon a song
of someone or another
who may be no more.
Or, possibly it is nothing but
nature’s process which
banished the marsh bird
and her song which for months
insistently announced each day.
Everything moves to its
next place in a cycle of life,
and so it goes.
Endless change is life’s purpose,
and endless fascination
in what was, is and will be.
The idea that all things
should stay the same,
as if permanence is a virtue,
seems a violation of nature
for all the living,
and yet, don’t we all want
the song to stay the same
for a little while longer?
The art of going nowhere
and returning gracefully.
The joy of wind and sail
and waves, for the sake of same.
The birds, the dolphins,
they play along in harmony.
Like children wandering
in the woods, inventing
fantastic adventures
we blissfully imagine
exploring the everywhere
of the worlds great oceans.
Ice melts cool on the tongue
but is no cure for fever within.
The mind races ever faster
but fails finding godspeed.
The time of ages does not reverse,
but memories, live on in aging time.
And yet this fog of the past,
inspires clarity of present
and winged hopes for the future.
A sign said Retail Space
and I thought of, selling space?
But then who built space?
And decided this space,
could be bought or sold,
which is in-between something
and another in order to be retailed-space.
While open-space can be found
right between nothing and nothing.
Then there’s luxury-space,
which must be somehow
more comfortable than living-space,
maybe less so or more is inner-space,
which is vast if we remove walls,
and outer-space which
seemingly empty is massive,
and yet is a destination for some,
where there is a space-station,
with space inside, protecting
from so much space outside.
Space is remarkably versatile,
which reminds me of flex-space,
which maybe more useful, if
I could bend space and time.
And possibly find the words
and thoughts which rid us of
useless space between us.
I ask my watch
who won the game last night?
…….. “UNC beat Duke, eighty-one to seventy-seven”
I ask my watch
what the temperature will be at noon?
…….. “Seventy-three and cloudy ”
I ask my watch
where are my shoes?
……. “I don’t understand… check your feet, idiot”
(I made the last part up)
I ask my watch
what is the meaning of life?
……. “No one knows for sure, but there is no harm in extra love.
For family, your friends, and most importantly, for yourself. ”
If you had one wish
what would it be,
something to do with you
or something for the world?
Would it involve something new
or something old you remember
but would like to change?
Would it be money to buy
happiness, which it isn’t for sale
or happiness, which has a
mind and time of its own?
Or rather be about health
and long life, but what if there is
forever, without happiness?
Or maybe something clever,
like enumerated more wishes
to avoid dreaded choices?
There are many wishes
we all seem to imagine, but
no one said they’d be granted.
Wishing, and doing for others
and self is our path and nature.