It is tempting, of course,
to collect swords and rifles
like old photographs,
to store them under the bed
or in the attic next to the dust.
But what is the point
of these beautiful things,
silent and gleaming,
if they are never wielded
in the heat of some imagined battle?
There is something in us,
I think, that loves the idea
of knowing how to fight,
but finds the practice
a bit excessive, even tiresome.
I prefer a simpler weapon—
a pen or a spoon
to carve out the day
and defend myself
against what must be faced.
Perhaps this is all we need now,
a little caution and a little humor,
for the only wars I want to win
are those between
the thoughts that keep me up.
YOU ARE READING
21 Poems Of Reflection
PoetryA compilation of reflective poems I wrote upon reading Miyamoto Musashi's book Dokkōdō (The Way of Walking Alone). The 21 principles in his book inspired me to write the poems you're about read here.
