A Haiku*—or two:
Being older means
looking back and wondering
which wrong turn mattered.
Would it have mattered
if I had not turned away
from this road—or that?
Or if I had let
my head-strong will and my heart
have equal footing?
Would it have mattered
if I had taken control
and embraced MY dream?
Being mature means
seeing with clearer vision,
what truly matters.
It can also mean
embracing a new vision—
Embracing one’s heart.
Today, I look back
and see that multiple paths
rose up before me.
Some say “no regrets.”
I say we don’t learn the truth
by ignoring it.
Being mature means
Finding peace from knowing
My life is…as is.
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*Haiku is a very structured form of poetry that originated in Japan. I choose to write in the traditional style of Haiku for the discipline demanded from its structure:
First line = 5 (and ONLY 5) syllables
Second line = 7 (and ONLY 7) syllables
Third = 5 (and ONLY 5) syllables
Traditionally, also, Haiku is meant to be a snapshot of something in nature. A butterfly resting on a rose. The sunrise. A flower dancing in the evening breeze, awash in its mysterious scent. Any Haiku I have written to date follows this dictate for the most part.
For a writer who normally runs on and on (meaning me), this is first an exercise in being succinct and precise. I love it! In most cases, though, Haiku is simply ONE set of three lines: 5-7-5. Being me, though, I have chosen to string together a series of “Haikus” into one cohesive “Haiket.” There….I invented a new form of poetry!
I have also been indulgent here, and used this beautiful art form to reflect my soul as I move into–and through, because we are never done– the status of Active Master. We do not stop desiring or hoping or striving as we age. People who say we do are, well, boring and have probably always been that way.
We are simply more wrinkled as we do it.
