I CAME TO HEAR THE CYNIC,
A MAN OF MUCH RENOWN.
THE CYNIC SPOKE OF MANY THINGS
HIS INSIGHTS WERE PROFOUND.
THE CYNIC WARNED: “DO NOT BE FOOLED!
THINGS ARE NOT WHAT THEY SEEM.
THOSE WHO TALK OF FAITH AND LOVE
ARE SELLING EMPTY DREAMS.
SEEK LOVE, AND YOU’LL BE HURT
WORK HARD, YOU CAN BE ROBBED;
FAMILY IS DESIGNED TO USE YOU;
…AND DON’T SPEAK TO ME OF GOD!”
I (WHO KNEW BETTER) LAUGHED AS THE FOOLS
LIVED OUT THEIR MISGUIDED LIVES
OF FAMILIES, FRIENDS, POSSESSIONS, BELIEFS,
BUILT ON A BEDROCK OF LIES.
AS THE CYNIC FORETOLD, THEY HAD SUFFERED.
DISAPPOINTED IN WORK, WITH GOALS UNFULFILLED.
PAINED BY LOVE LOST AND PRAYERS GONE UNHEARD,
THEY REDOUBLED THEIR EFFORTS BY SHEER FORCE OF WILL.
I HAD ESCAPED ALL OF THIS, BY BELIEVING IN NOTHING –
SO I TOLD MYSELF EVERY DAY.
I WAS WISER BY FAR THAN THEY EVER KNEW
LIVING MY SWEET LIFE OF PLAY.
STILL, I WOKE UP ONE MORNING, EMPTY AND COLD
WITH NO LOVING EYES I COULD SEE.
MY MIRROR INFORMED ME, THE CRUEL MARCH OF TIME
WOULD MAKE NO EXCEPTION FOR ME.
THE DAWN HELD NO EXCITEMENT
FOR THE GRAY DAY AT HAND.
GOOD-TIME FRIENDS DID NOT CALL
AND THE GLASS LOST MORE SAND.
DISAPPOINTMENT AND STRUGGLE MUST VISIT US ALL.
LIFE IS NEVER EASY, I NOW CAME TO SEE,
BUT ACCEPT THIS YOU MUST – AND WORK – AND BELIEVE;
OR END UP A FOOL… MUCH LIKE ME.
© 2022 Cushman Younger cushman.younger@gmail.com
Some of Cushman Younger’s favorite poems are available on Amazon Kindle under the title “The Cruel March of Time“.
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