Writing to a Friend Who Has Retired to a Beach Shanty

author’s note:

Any big structure is held together with a lot of little structures.


WRITING TO A FRIEND WHO HAS RETIRED TO A BEACH SHANTY

Yes, I’ll admit
your theory sounds plausible:

the careless behavior
of the human race
may indeed indicate
a secret wish to fall.

Not that we want to end our life, no—
but the higher we build
the greater our anxiety
so maybe we feel tempted
to just give up, give in
and let the structure tumble.

But because we want to calm our anxiety
we struggle to maintain our stability
and so, for now, we are still standing up.

Like you, I feel nervous
about the way we teeter and totter.
So yes, I’d like to retreat
to the peace of the beach
but no—I know
my rest wouldn’t be
true equanimity.

No artificial peace for me—
no sitting down—
I’ll work to maintain my balance
and in that way
do my small part
to keep our mad tower
pointed toward the clouds.

Get the Message: a short guide for understanding dreams
picturing metaphor
you tube channel
© 2023, Michael R. Patton