life,
constantly changing.
certainty
only promulgates uncertainty.
resisting change gets us stuck,
not a good place to be.
accept changes in life,
embrace them,
move on,
evolve
like you are programmed to
no doubt you are a soul of substance
have seen your shimmering quality
and gravitated to it
since we first met.
so often the case
we are last to discover this
about ourselves.
hanging on to old selves
becomes
self-defeating
ultimately leaving us
being
or
trying to be
someone who is not authentic.
and know when I speak like this,
these are not sagely words of one
perched under a Banyan tree
but
a neophyte in life,
teaching what I need to learn
Copyright © Henri Ferguson 2003
Author notes
The seed of this was planted in a letter to an old friend. We have corresponded on many life issues, and have in many ways been mirrors for one another. This poem came out of a response I had written. Too much of an opportunist to let these thoughts slip by without getting a few more miles out of them.
Written October 25th, 2003
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So much truth in your words.. we resist change, even those of us able to see that it is what we must do.. There is security in the known, wrong or right, and all too often we lose ourselves to time by staying in one spot - static- instead of in motion, when even the core of us spins its cells in a constant cycle of rebirth..
Beautiful writing..
~~Lisa
Edited on Jan 11, 1:54 because ''. -
"...certainty only promulgates uncertainty..."
Indeed, certainty becomes a drug...the need to be right all the time...the need to have the last word...the setting aside of other priorties in order to set someone straight...the reluctance to apologize or forgive...tenaciously clinging to functional emotional defense mechanisms...inability to judge objectively...and I could go on. At NA meetings I often share about how certainty often is just a substitute for old drugs of choice. It took a long time for me to allow others to be right. I've expended too much energy fighting battles whose outcomes were totally irrelevant an hour later. My guess is that your letter to your friend addressed some sort of emotional or spiritual crisis he was having.
I have also seen that those whom we call 'fundamentalists,' be it religious, political, or, what we call in NA, "NA Nazis,' embrace the drug of certainty, derive their egos from it, losing the capability to grow, and become "someone who is not authentic."
During my student-teaching experience at a high school in Barberton, Ohio, in 1992, I told my English class, "I will grade you on what you have taught me." It got me thrown out. Kent State had trained me to fly an SST, then put me into a squardon of Sopwith Camel veterans.
Edited on May 02, 6:54 p.m. because ''. -
I normally post the poem here and then go through offering suggestions and making corrections, except that...I see none!!! Wow, can't remember the last time that has happened. This piece really struck my soul. Wow.
"accept changes in life,
embrace them,
move on,
evolve
like you are programmed to"
AHHHH!!! Human nature resolved and dissected. YES!
I love it! I really, really do. You're getting my first applause of the week. Take care!
Your Cerulean Dreamer,
Michele
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kewl!!!
excellent thread, as it took me 30 years to realize I was standing still! But hey, I found I can go uphill as fast as down if I'm in good company as the hill is nothing more than you make it. -
HI I LOVE IT
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This was such an intensely profound write. I'm definitely bookmarking this one. It's amazing how this is written in a simple style, and yet its message is so complex. The other day I wrote a poem based on a letter I'd written, and I remember thinking, "Gah, I must be the only one who does that." And then here's you and this write. But you're right in your author's comment, when inspiration comes, flow with it till exhaustion makes you drop. A beautifully written poem, hope I haven't rambled too much or repeated the others. Keep it up.
~Renay -
I can't believe I did this again. I clicked this poem and found I have already read it. I owe you ferg though it was nice reading it again.
Red -
Still wonderful, and filled with wisdom ... an evergreen voice.
Love.
Myra -
very good
Beautifully written with a life lesson we could all work on. A real pleasure to read. Now I will have to browse more of your works.
thanks,
John -
Very good job! I have often wrote poems about my friends, and thought that I needed to learn what I just taught. This was a very thought provoking poem! Good job and keep up the good work!
~PhotoPoet~ -
It's not reaching that pinnacle of perfection, it's the striving that really matters. Henry, I've been away too long. Your writing always does something inside me...a sort of niggling that sometimes runs up the back of one's spine and blossoms into an epiphany...or a slight headache, depending on the subject matter. :: grins :: This is beautiful and hits square between the eyes of a certain sheila. I know it wasn't written just for me, but it reads as though it were. Thank you for the wisdom, imparted with compassion and penned with rare beauty.
~Tilly -
wisdom in a truffle shared with a friend....
Lucky friends, both. -
we are not only meant to grow physcially from day one, but also to grow spiritually, emotionally..the growing never stops..and neither does the learning. When one stops learning, they might as well stop breathing. I've often thought, it is sad for the person who thinks he already knows it all!!! Another excellent message in your writing Henri...pen on, we can all stand to learn a thing or two!!!
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Oh I absolutely love this! As I was reading I found myself saying Yes! May we never stop learning, that last line is humble, beautifully so.
Red -
great
Such a wise poem, i loved it.
My favourite line is;
'like you are programmed to'
It really speaks to me, i love how you have presented this poem, the structure is amazing. Great write -
You don't know how I needed this to kick start my Monday. And it even had my favorite word in there.."promulgate". So much truth in your beautifully written words, Henri. So much honesty. Thanks for helping get the "whine" out of my engine..and for the reminder..that change is inevitable. And it is growth. How did you get so wise? And how did you know I needed this? Have a good Monday...
Maddie -
Someone mentioned Maslow's theory of self actualization above ,
and this seems to be the essence of Your words Henri...striving to move onwards and upwards in an effort to achieve our own personal potential in the way it was intended...and I think it can take a lifetime to achieve...words of wisdom you have given us in this poem...so many try to live up to the expectations of others , or society as a whole and in doing so ,lose sight of WHO we really are ( or can be )...and I think that is the biggest sin of all , selling out to YOURSELF...
Bravo !!! Much food for thought...
Enjoyed
~ sonia ~ X -
"We teach best that which we most need to learn." Thank you for sharing your insights! Always interested in what you have to say!
<3 Maureen
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Self-actualization, highest in the hierarchy, is rarely, if ever achieved. I actually don't know if anyone I have ever met has reached that pinnacle, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't all strive for it. Being the best we can be, taking turns in the road when the one we are on reaches a dead end, rarely looking back other than to appreciate the good of where we were or recall a piece of nostalgia that we never want to forget - But for some, its hard to get past the few rungs at the bottom of that ladder, safety, food, shelter, there are so many things that can stand in our way. Of course, that is a whole other write.. this was wonderfully done, and I think your words of teaching what you need to learn can be applied many times to the things we do.. I always enjoy coming here and reading you, you have a very nice take on the world.
~ becky
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"Teaching what I need to learn" Ah. This phrase took me back many, many years ...
I was sitting in the shorthand class (never intended to become a secretary - those little "calligraphic" strokes just fascinated me
) - right in front, whilst our teacher "taught" me the basic principles of philosophy ... Later I discovered he had to write exams on those work! Of course he instilled in me the thirst for more ... whilst he was teaching what he needed to learn
You are amazing. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
One day I will meet you under a Banyan tree
Hugs,
Myra -
Reminds me of something I read the other day:
The classic Greek philosophers had a word for the process of self-actualizing and striving to reach your highest potential. They called it 'Arete.'
Arete was one of the most important values in classic Greek culture. Guys like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle tell us that the meaning of life is happiness and that the way to achieve happiness is to live with arete (aka excellence, striving to reach your highest potential).
Excellent subject matter Henri - Thank you for sharing. ~ Brian
I'll leave with another quote by Ayn Rand from my favorite book "The Fountainhead".
"You were not born to be a second-hander." Howard Roark to Gail Wynand in "The Fountainhead" -
good view... its like a mirror with a hidden reflection... we watch ourselves we dont really see ourself... sometimes when i look at the mirror the last thing i look is my eyes and it is the most important part.
eyes reflect our content... our feeling and our thoughts...
if you really look deep in your eyes... you will figure new things... that maybe could help ypu change
good luck
peace -
An amazing thing... being able to be sage about others lives. And if we are able to learn from our own words..and yes..learn to CHANGE... I do believe we are happier in scheme of things.
Your writes are always inciteful.
Hugs..
Mary Ann
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