Dig In Poem by Edmund V. Strolis
Dig In
You see things one way and I another
Yet stop and ask yourself
Do you wish me well
Well let's create a shield for two
Two oysters in a shell
Different in luster but not in form
Will you respect our differences
So long as my intentions are true
Or retreat into a convenient suspicion
Or will you recognize sincerity
A wish for true goodwill
Although it opposes your view
Will you bristle at the very thought
And squint your eyes, tuck in your ears
And throw your spears of objection
And with each thrust throw away
A chance at a civil connection
A chance to convince or be convinced
I tell you this as it's proven to be true
We must first take a seat in a sunny place
At a table with white linen
With a glass of wine and our favorite pie
With no forks in hand or knife to slice
We must then dig in with both hands
We allow ourselves to stray too far
Into the weeds of worldly confusion
We ask ourselves in silent moments
Are these thoughts of ours our own?
Do not abandon the quest for truth
Return to the clarity that is you.
hey, edmund! though this is a recent posting, i don't remember reading it before. it strikes me as a poem for our time in america with our divisions. maybe we've always had them—we had a civil war! but as i've been aware of them, they seem to have intensified over the last decade or so. my concerns about them are expressed in my poems listening to genius loves company and another glimpse of whitman. your use of the word goodwill strikes a chord in me. i noticed some years ago that the message from the angels to the shepherds as reported in the gospel of luke is to people of good will. i am convinced most people are good at heart. i learned that spending a good part of two years hitch-hiking around the country, sometimes with no money. but not all people are people of good will. o we so need to listen to one another. and i know for me personally listening is a discipline. it's a good question you ask, are these thoughts your own? opinions so often, or most often, come too easily. may we be people of good will. glen
So what is our philosophy and is it our own. Can we be judged as owners of our genetic pool combined with our culture and our nurturing. Is the essence of who we are found in the picture of ourselves in kindergarten? Can free will save us from ourselves?
We must first take a seat in a sunny place At a table with white linen With a glass of wine and our favorite pie With no forks in hand or knife to slice We must then dig in with both hands- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I'm game! ! ! I like your argument for listening to each other whole-heartedly, savoring the words for taste and truth. Can we have cherry pie? ? ? 10+++++++
True that we should base our opinions more on facts than emotions. And true that a discussion would stay calmer and much more pleasant if had while sharing a cheery pie- -I mean, cherry pie! ! !
What kind of world would we live in without cherry pie? I think the problem in communication is often due to ignorance. I enjoy a lively debate and I am often surprised by the opinions that are used from the attic of my brain. Forgotten thoughts that are dusted off and given new life in a present day argument. Best I think to assume from the outset that we do not have all the answers and to try and get to the crux of an opinion and see if their is merit to something said or just the usual parroting of twice told tales. My father was one to always ask how and where my information came from. Showing, I suppose the need not to be lazy in opinion and base something on emotion but to actually know why you know what you know. We shall see what the pie is made of and savor-as you said-the taste.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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5/18/2024 1:13:23 PM # 1.0.0.1119
a follow-up on your reply, edmund. i think mainly we have to listen, to hold our opinions in abeyance, and meet heart-to-heart. at this level we will see differences but can respect them as our unique pieces of the pie. -glen