“Stone free to do what I please,” sings Hendrix
“Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose,” sings Joplin
“You’re about as free as they come,” the maintenance man told me
You get into trouble if you’re too free
Young and free, I hated the word, “conformity.”
Now I call it cooperation
“The nail that sticks out gets hammered down,” the Japanese say
Cooperation, coordination make harmony, peace
We used to talk a lot about peace
While prizing individuality, freedom
But it turns out you’re rarely alone–completely individual
The other is always with us, in conflict, competition, or peace
With the other comes the possibility of love
We used to talk a lot about love
I live love now; no longer a philosophy only
And I am thankful that there is the other
David Fekete 