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
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© 2023, Michael R. Patton

Living Stone

author’s note:

Yes, we’re all stones.  But there are different types, of course.

I like to think of myself as a millstone.


LIVING STONE

I don’t think a corpse needs a grave
but the deceased still should have a stone--
just a plain flat rock in the grass
would be sufficient
if we add an inscription

such as:
this stone represents a stone
who endured
many quakes, many storms

as well as the mundane
slow relentless erosion.

Another rock in a construction
made of all the rocks ever born--
even if it disappears underground
this rock slab will still be around.

I say:
we’re all stones
and even the small or broken ones
contribute to the project.

Let’s give each stone
a stone marker
and at least a line or two.
Each marker a reminder:
we must stand strong
for the benefit of those
who will stand
on this stone foundation.

finding Beauty: poetry ebook
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© 2022, Michael R. Patton