Why?
Poetry by Mark Pillsbury (2020)
The cruelest two letters I know: N - O,
Right now, I can say, though;
The letters more puzzling than No,
To me, there's three...
The question posed, "Why?"
He looks to the sky and asks of the "i"
Just three tiny letters: w - h - y.
Should I care about why?
I did nothing to mold it.
What right does the potter have over clay?
The lump can ponder, or even behold it.
Yet, all we have under control is today.
The learned ask, what video is playing?
I should turn off the projector.
They don't understand what I'm saying:
"It's not a narrative, there are questions I want to ask her."
The puzzle is a why.
Not a labyrinth, but a maze.
A labyrinth helps you to "center"
"Why" is cloudy like fog, drifting into haze.
I have to live with myself, so.
I want to be fit for myself to know.
As days go by, looking myself in the eye;
I have to deal with the penetrating "Why?"
Days set with the sun,
Still I question, things that I have done.
Why stays mute.
Hunched over, homeless, forlorn.
Unwelcome just blocks from home.
Why suffers dementia.
Bright-eyed, empty, lost.
Unnoticed, a spark, occasionally known.
Wasting time - why stops the clock.
Circling back, turning left then right,
Not knowing when to stop.
Is it wondering, dreaming, or thought?
Turning down why's cul-de-sac;
Investing so much, but it comes to naught.
Dying from thirst, we take a cup of why.
The ignorance like heat parches, dries.
Compulsively gulping, gasping, failing to know,
That which is understood, may not do any good.
Even with exercise, why is a heavy weight:
Innerness pushing outerness
Not competitive or violent
Engaging not withdrawing
Separate yet connected
Lifting "why" takes strength, whether it's worth it,
Is up for debate.
One generation tells the other his problem,
"I can't shake these three-letters."
Nodding, but he doesn't have them;
It's probably all for the better.
Mi amigo likes to think, he also likes to drink;
But that's another story to tell.
He's stubborn, straight-forward, and ornery as hell.
Likes perpendicular,
Sees a lot of black & white,
Practical as an engineer,
He argues there's a root cause to everything here.
Nothing sublime, inscrutable, or hazy.
To wonder "why?" is a cop-out, intellectually lazy.
Pull back the layers, sin is what you'll find,
Meet my expectations! Foremost in the mind.
Future retrospection, is how he'd visualize;
Choose expectations, or a goal.
He'll not accept the tyranny of why;
This is something we all know:
The mystery of the unknowable, surrendering control,
None of this is necessary, he'd propose,
And if you let it, it will take its toll.
Why do some of us need an explanation?
The circle spins around again.
As if I could make it clear,
What we do: motives, causation, and sin.
Patience. Better than pride.
What purpose is served asking "why?"
Wait on the Lord, He's on your side.
All we can do is faithfully try.
Reaching up, the drowning man, yearning;
Seeking truth, her desperate quest, learning;
Asking why into the void, ears burning.
To be a citizen of a nation
Where only Gods and Kings tread,
To live in a state where answers
Don't linger in your head?
A place where wisdom's flag
Flutters in the wind,
And the assurance of faith
Defeats doubt once again.
At attention stand soldiers of mercy,
Dressed for battle, erectly stout.
Ready to vanquish an ancient foe,
An army against doubt.
But lurking like commandos, hiding in the fog of war,
An evil foe, still in battle, but willing to die;
The terrible question, yet powerful,
Three shots, short staccato bursts: w - h - y ?
It can spark an idea, change a plan;
causing conflagration.
But it will make you stumble, lose your way;
inducing stagnation.
Used lightly, much like seasoning;
tasting better, with celebration!
"Why" is found in the chasm between who you are
And what you become. It isn't a map, more like a signpost.
Its backward focus will cause you to stop,
The rope you are pulling tangled in knots.
Instead of asking why?
Try asking: why not.
Today's decisions bounce off a "why-trampoline"
Sometimes one cannot control trajectory.
Often, why gets the best of me!
Tuning out "why" deciding to simplify;
Making a healthy choice, often one discovers their "voice".
I've got plenty of why, the timing is now;
Turn down the noise, think about the how.
Putting why into context is the right thing to do;
Taking off the thinking cap, and focusing on the who.
Fires, rain, hail, hurricanes, snow; why is there variable weather?
Looking to the heavens, how can one know; the mystery of "why" altogether.
I'm just a regular guy, breaking a habit, you see?
I like to ask "why?" An important word, with letters of three.
#PoetryaboutWhy
Copyright: Houston TX
©Mark H. Pillsbury/2020
