Peaks & Planes

When we are climbing one peak
We should never delude ourselves
That once we have reached that peak
Easy planes will lie ahead;
Beyond every peak lie peaks and peaks
That we will need to climb and climb.
05.01.14

Complexity & Simplicity

Turmoil comes of complexity
As joy comes of simplicity
As anguish comes of guilt
As thrills come of wealth
As happiness comes of acceptance.
04.30.14

Trust & Trustworthy

To trust everyone is foolish
To trust no one is foolish and cruel
To trust only the trustworthy is impossible
Because one can never know who they really are
Until they have been repeatedly tested with one’s trust.
04.29.14

Bureaucracy & Enlightenment

Enlightenment is always
Inversely proportional to bureaucracy;
When bureaucracy increases in complexity
Enlightenment and joie de vivre decline.
04.28.14

Mistakes & Discoveries

More discoveries have been made
Through unintentional mistakes
Than through dedicated searches.
04.27.14

Humility & Show

False humility
Is what we show
And real humility
Is what we feel.
04.26.14

Worth & Self

Most of us derive our self worth
From what other people think of us
Instead of what we think of ourselves.
04.25.13

Knowing & Self

Most of us do not know when we have been defeated
Nor when we are too old to be doing certain things
Nor when we’re no longer good at what we do
Nor when we become addicted to things
Nor when we become inappropriate
Nor when it is time to stop.
04.24.14

Pleasures & Seriousness

We always take our pleasures seriously:
Think of food, sex, sports, vacations
Entertainments, arts, grooming
Comfort, attire, drinks, addictions, etc.
But we often trivialize the serious side of life
Think of loyalty, empathy, dedication, excellence
Hard work, responsibility, service, honesty, and sacrifice.
04.23.14

Age & Desire

Sexual desire has three ages:
When young and sensual
Almost everyone desires us;
When middle-aged and dignified
Mostly those older than us desire us;
And when old and no longer attractive
Only those in love with us desire us.
04.22.14

Love & Fear

Yes, I have been to many places
All the same
And watched the empty faces fade
Heard the lonely chattering of slippy dentures
And the eerie whistling of the hearing aid
And yes, at times, I was dismayed
But never lost my faith
Except when love was absent
Then, I felt afraid.
04.21.14

Present & Past

When living in the moment
Memories of joy are erased by pain
And memories of pain are erased by joy;
We need to remember the past
In order to put the present
In its proper context.
04.20.14

Democracy & Enlightenment

Democracy thrives
When its voters are enlightened
And falters when they’re not.
04.19.14

Self & Love

Excessively liking ourselves
Can make us disloyal to criticism
And loyal to praise, which is dangerous;
It is best to temper our self love
With the ice of reality.
94.18.14

Knowledge & Layers

The layers of knowledge are four:
.Not knowing that you know
.Knowing that you don’t know
.Knowing that you know
.And not knowing that you don’t know
Of these four layers, the most wise
Is knowing that you don’t know
And the most dangerous
Is not knowing that you don’t know.
04.17.14

Excellence & Requirements

Excellence in work
Requires seven things:
Intelligence, knowledge
Love, passion, hard work
Higher personal standards
And patient, dedicated time.
04.16.14

Love & End

Familiar faces
Let us not pretend
Though life may decimate and send
Our unsuspecting souls across
Uncharted times and unfamiliar places
Wherever we are loved we end.
04.15.14

Duration & Negotiation

If we can remind our minds
Before we enter a conflict
That nothing ever lasts
We would negotiate
Instead of fight.
04.14.14

Whole & Part

To know the whole
Before knowing the part
Is the only way to see reality.
04.13.14

Wealth & Nations

The wealth of nations
Depends more on their citizens
Than upon their natural resources.
04.11.14

Freedom & Injustice

Legal injustice,
The use of noble laws
For ignoble purposes
Is the price we pay
For freedom.
04.11.14

Causes & Meaning

Devoting
Our ephemeral selves
To good causes beyond ourselves
Renders our lives meaningful
And launches our works
Into the future.
04.10..14

Fear & Faith

When fear overcomes us
Our intelligence will fail us
And we make bad decisions;
To subdue fear with faith
Is how we can prevail.
04.09.14

Pains & Gains

When bad things cannot be helped
We can render them more palatable
By learning their valuable life lessons
Which transform our pains into gains.
04.08.14

Joy & Purity

Insisting on joy
Keeps us pure.
o4.07.14

Providing & Free

Providing things
Free of charge
Is often risky.
04.06.14

Speeding & Why

Those who habitually speed
Have no clear idea why
They are speeding.
04.05.14

Riches & Weatlh

Of all our riches:
Friendship, romance
Wealth, health, beauty
Passion, love, Joy, attitude
Wisdom, power, skill, character
Genes, talent, and knowledge
The only asset we can trade
That is not a part of us
Is wealth.
04.04.14

Hoarding & Giving

De-junking
Contributes to recycling
Whereas hoarding
Contributes to junking;
Still, we all die with mountains
Of things we could not give away
Even though we did not use.
04.03.14

Pets & Love

Pet love
Depends on actions
And requires no words;
Human love
Depends less on actions
And much more on words.
04.02.14

Quality & Quantity

It takes quality
To recognize quality;
But, recognizing quantity
Requires no intellect.
04.01.14