I see tragedy in the world
Not as the enemy
To be retreated from
Nor as an accident
Captivating my perverse stares
Rather a musing
These puzzling pieces
Of my heart
Shuttered into a million pieces
In chanting invitations
Entranced overtures
Moving beyond words
As a gait way
To the presents
Of an unbroken whole
This is yet another poem about hope, a familiar theme of mine. With all of the tragedy in the world, it can be difficult to have a light heart. I often muse that I have to laugh to keep from crying. This seems to me to be a basic choice of perspective to bring to life. How should I orient my attitude in life? Staring at tragedy can become a perverse rubber-necking, like seeing a wreck that you can’t seem to take your eyes off. My personality is built in such a way that I easily see the falling short of any given situation compared to some more perfect ideal, or even the being aware of multiple perspectives or choices that are equally inane, in some banal equivalency. The former is a perspective of idealism. The latter tempts infinite forms of nihilism, all leading the same place: nowhere. Perhaps needless to say, I identify much more strongly with idealism. I deal with -isms all the time! For me, the decisive factor in choosing between idealism and nihilism is a devotion to a positive outlook. Great minds have pondered the tally between good and evil, and it seems that it may be a close call. Some try to escape the question by believing that it doesn’t matter, that it’s all the same. Of course, it does matter what we believe. Some times believing is seeing. I’m betting my life that good is stronger than evil, or simply that I am going to try really hard to be on the side of good. I see a major developmental task in life as sorting out my relationship with the One, which some may call God, perhaps Tao, or even hope. This always takes place in context of the myriad of things, the many, the stuff of our everyday life. This poem alludes to our hearts being shattered and shuttered into a million pieces. The poem ends with the epic allure of an unbroken whole, or perhaps, within human capabilities, healing and reconciliation of broken and estranged people. The transition, the path, the opening between, mere musings and such a desired positive state, is filled with invitations/overtures, most of which will go unanswered/unfulfilled, and movement beyond words to action. This requires taking the lead. This requires inviting people to be better when being worse seems much more plausible or practical. This requires my own volition of acting better when being worse seems much more plausible or practical. My best, most simple definition of leadership is this: bringing out the best in others. I have hope because it brings the best out in me. May our highest hopes incarnate hope for one another. Make it so…
