The others are out partying
Cruising in their urban assault vehicles
One night they shot chicks in the ass with a plastic dart gun
Outside the neighborhood convenience store
And a girl panicked and the police showed up
They told them to put their toys away and go to bed
After the bars closed but the night wasn’t done for them
But I stayed home in my apartment reading
That night I heard about, it was Blake
I was deep in the wailing and groaning mythic Giants
And Sunday afternoon I was explaining
An ethics paper I was working on to a girl I picked up Friday night
About love and state public policy, bussing and race
And she asked me how long it took me to write the poem I gave her
It didn’t last because, she said, I wasn’t in business and it was the ‘80’s
We’ve already made terms with living impoverished
And not being able to afford a lot of beers
But there are still ways to get into trouble
KNOWING WHAT LIFE HAS GIVEN
27 Mar 2019 Leave a comment
in Blog Tags: a calling, alone, community, connections, fulfillment, impoverished, poetry, reflection, time
I have the gift of perspective
The gift of years and experiences
The time and capacity for reflection
Fruitful reflection to realize
The fulfillment I have . . .
I have struggled to get somewhere
And with the struggle over I have found myself nowhere
And I have grit my teeth
Steadfastly endured miserable circumstances
I have passed time—years—just getting by
Getting by, not living—quelle dommage, pity, year after year, getting by
Impoverished
Smoking cigar after cigar
Not even paying attention to the life going by
Alone
Hours, years did go by
Alone, impoverished
Then today . . . and I have fulfillment
When did it come? For how long has it been?
A calling,–is it that?—music, friendships, love
Volunteer responsibilities, travel, lifelong learning, research work
Fulfillment
Embraced in rich connections
Purpose, position, ownership
Comfort, contentment without complacency,
Community
I have the gift of perspective
Time and perspective and reflection
Giving me wonder at what I have, have humbly been granted
Granted with the time I have
David Fekete 