This week’s poem, written this morning, comes from Joel Nyland.BACK OFF WHAT IF DEATH IS OUR BIGGEST GIFT WHAT IF ALL THIS ANGST ABOUT DEATH IS FOR NOT ALL THIS ENERGY TO LOOK YOUNG ALL THIS ENERGY TO LIVE RIGHT ALL THIS ENERGY TO BE LIKE SOMEONE ELSE WE ARE BORN ALONE WE DIE ALONE PERHAPS THAT IS REASON ENOUGH TO BE OURSELVES AUTHENTICALLY OURSELVES YESTERDAY I TOLD A GROWN MAN TO BACK OFF PLEASE HE WAS IN MY FACE SHOUTING WHAT'S YOUR NAME I SPELLED BACK OFF MAN AND THEN I ADDED THE PLEASE WHY DID I ADD PLEASE THE EXTRA PLEASE WAS FOR MY FRIEND’S MOM SHE DOESN'T YET BELIEVE WE ARE ADULTS THE MAN IN MY FACE IS A CAREGIVER PERHAPS THAT IS HIS VERSION OF CARE I WAS ALMOST AUTHENTIC WITH HIM THE PLEASE WAS A LIE MY MOM WAS READY TO PUNCH HIM SHE WAS TOTALLY INAUTHENTIC BEHIND HER SMILE NO JUDGMENT JUST OBSERVATION THE MAN GOT UP AND LEFT LIKE DEATH IN A FOG I DOUBT HE WILL REMEMBER ME HE BRUISED HIS EGO WITH MY COMMENTS AND IT MAY TAKE HIM A WHILE TO RECOVER HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO DEATH? STEVE JOBS ONCE SAID DEATH IS THE BIGGEST INVITATION TO LIVING YESTERDAY I WAS LIVING SPEAKING UP TO THAT MAN FOR TOO MANY YEARS I HAD TO BE SILENT I WAS WALKING DEATH I HATED BEING TALKED TO LIKE I WAS INTELLECTUALLY DISABLED I HATED THOSE COSTCO DRYER SHEETS THEY STINK I HATED NOT BEING ABLE TO SAY I LOVE YOU JUST THE WAY YOU ARE YESTERDAY I STOOD UP FOR MYSELF YESTERDAY I WAS LIVING FULL OUT TODAY I AM LIVING WITH LOVE FOR MY AUTHENTIC SELF
Yes!
Wow! Fantastic poem. It has brought tears to my eyes. Such power.