PROBLEMS WITHOUT END Poem by Rutger Kopland

One ought to avoid the word ‘problem'
for two simple reasons:

there are endless examples of problems
that don't exist - I'll be coming back to that

there are equally endless numbers of problems
that do exist, but are not named as such -
I'll be coming back to that too.

All happenings, for instance, yes all of them,
around us and inside us, they happened
and one wonders why.

Forgive me my sole answer: why not?

For everything that happens is an exception
to the rule according to which it doesn't.

It is therefore better not to use the word ‘problem'
for the problems that are and those that are not
are the same.

I could go on like this until I stop.

There's much to be said (before) for that, nothing afterwards.