Author: Gordon S. Bowman III

Would you like to know

Where I am, at any given moment?

Wouldn’t it be interesting,

To get inside my head?

Perhaps, not,

For I am a boring soul,

Sometimes.

But, as kind of a scientific experiment,

A moral goal,

An artistic challenge.

Wouldn’t it be cool,

To get inside someone’s head?

Poems, essays, even fiction,

Do reveal something about ourselves,

But we are in control

Of what is revealed,

For the most part.

What if we surrendered all control?

What if we simply

Let it all out,

Let it flow,

Without any filter?

Is that possible?

Is it permissible?

Is it moral?

Is it good?

Perhaps,

Some may say,

Some of these questions

Are not relavent,

Are not pertinent,

Are not interesting,

Are not “scientific”.

But what are we,

If not moral beings?

What is art,

If it has no moral goal?

Perhaps,

We could argue,

That any process,

Which reveals information,

Is valuable, moral and good.

But is that true?

I would like to know,

As this is a great concern of mine.

Where do we go from here?

I am a conflicted soul.

On one side,

I believe in peace, love,

Justice and sacrifice.

On the other,

I believe in freedom, expression,

Individuality and protection

From tyranny.

But protection from tyranny

Requires something.

That something is a military,

The right to bear arms,

The armed force

Of a revolution, if necessary.

I certainly agree,

That the American Revolution,

The French Revolution, and

The Union Army in the Civil War,

Were all worthwhile.

But what about Jesus?

What about the peaceful struggles

For civil rights

By the Black citizens

Of the United States?

Was Christianity only successful

Because of Constantine

And the Crusades?

Were civil rights only achieved

In America

Because of the Black Muslims,

The Black Panthers,

The National Guard,

The President of the United States,

And the military power

Behind him?

I want to believe

That civil rights in America

Were achieved

Because of religion,

And moral conscience.

But is that a smoke screen?

Was it really about military force?

What is really necessary?

What is truth?

What is justice?

Jumbling, stumbling,

Echoes of time,

Phrases, interruptions,

Excitable comments,

Boring lectures,

Fights and resolutions,

Mercy and apologies,

Sad stories and funny experiences.

Tossed, teased, pushed and pulled.

Is it all the same,

For everyone?

Never.

We are all unique.

Each day is new,

Never knowing

What to expect.

Will this good or bad thing

Happen today?

Will it be a mix of both?

Will I find

What I’ve been looking for?

Will I get the answer

To my question?

It never stops.

Over and over,

We are surprised,

By grief and joy,

Heartache and togetherness,

Shock and peacefulness.

What will tomorrow bring?

We never know.

*The following poem came to me after reading the proposal of the rudiments of a scientific theory of the creation of life by Matthew Heiman 

Was there ever an instant

When time started?

Does time ever stop?

Does the universe recycle?

Can our existence be reduced

To the creation of oxygen,

Water, ice, a vacuum,

And the energy in a supernova?

These are ideas,

But ideas can start a revolution.

Can our small minds handle it?

Perhaps, my friend is correct.

I don’t know.

These ideas are too complex

For my small mind.

Perhaps,

Like in the time of Galileo,

We all need to open our minds

To the possibility that

We are confused,

We are small-minded,

We have been deceived,

We have been wrong

About things that we feel

So sure about,

Things we have been taught

All of our lives,

Things that we’ve struggled with,

Over and over,

But in the end,

We’ve resigned our minds and wills

To what we’ve seen as undeniable,

Unavoidable,

Incomprehensible.

Have we resigned ourselves

To something, someone,

Whom we cannot bring ourselves

To do without?

Have we resigned ourselves

To God?

Stripes on a back,

Stripping a man, a woman,

Of clothes,

Stealing children,

Separating husbands and wives,

Changing an individual’s name:

It all adds up, eventually.

Waving a banner

To glorify it all.

Is it right?

Is it just?

We aren’t proud

Of all that happened,

All that still happens

To a people

That have put up with it all

For far too long.

We must come together.

We must compromise.

We must give up our privilege,

And lift the downtrodden

To a higher place.

The oppressed cry out.

Please, stop the lies.

The hatred

And the cruelty must end.

This is the time.

It is long past time, in fact.

Centuries.

Remove the darkness.

Heal the wounds.

Seek forgiveness.

Come together

For the good of all.

Wrestling with truth,

Pounding at the pillow,

Struggling with pain,

Clawing at the walls,

Climbing up the trees.

Is there an answer,

Or do I just embrace what is?

Do I accept the past,

Move in the motion

Of the present,

And hope for something

That may or may not be,

Regardless of what I do?

Perhaps there is a middle way,

A path that takes me

To happiness.

Or perhaps,

Happiness is an illusion,

Or a delusion,

Or a lost cause from the beginning.

Does time march on,

And all that happens

Are simply cogs in a machine,

Including ourselves?

I want to believe

That change is possible,

And perhaps,

Even change, even revolution,

Is part of the plan

From the beginning,

A redemption of sorts.

God has been in control

Of his creation.

He knew the heartache

That was coming,

Because he knew

What we would choose,

Even when we had

Complete freedom not to.

We would get ourselves

Into a load of trouble,

Not understanding

That we are not gods,

Worshipping ourselves

Out of arrogance,

Ignoring justice,

And following our greed.

We want it all,

But we can’t handle it,

And only he

Can save us from our mess.

Look up, look around,

Look deep inside

Your broken hearts.

He is all around,

And part of it all.

He loves you.

Calling

From a distance,

You hear your name.

Who is calling?

A stranger?

A friend?

An enemy,

Trying to deceive you?

An angel?

God himself?

Ask in your heart.

Do what you think

Is right.

Answer or not.

If you perceive

An enemy,

Be cautious.

If you think

A friend beckons you,

Be full of joy.

Do not hesitate.

Trust the Lord,

Either way.

He will be with you,

No matter what happens,

Good or bad.

Do not be afraid

Of difficult circumstances.

It is part of life.

God will use

Whatever happens

To build you up

Or tear you down

And remake you

Into something better.

Do not worry

About pain or suffering.

Do not desire

Anything.

Just accept

Whatever happens

And whomever

Comes your way.

Do not compare yourself

To others.

Do not think about

Tomorrow.

Do not dwell

On the past.

Live for today.

Be in the present

At all times.

Enjoy the journey.

Every day

Is a new day,

Full of surprises,

Or just routine.

Take life

As it comes,

And make something

Beautiful.

Life is what you make of it.

It is up to you.

Be yourself.

Love

At all times.

Love life.

Love all creatures.

Love the earth.

Love God.

Love yourself.

It is all connected.

Just love.

Twisting, turning,

You walk on,

Into the dark forest,

Out to the plains,

Over the mountains,

And down again.

You never really know

What comes next.

It is a mysterious journey

That we all must take.

Some say there is only one road,

But they are fooling themselves.

Do not worry

About the path.

You create the path

As you go.

Even when

You walk in darkness

There is a light

That burns inside

Your soul.

Follow

Wherever it leads you.

Just keep going.

Be true to yourself.

You are made

In the image of God.

Remember

He is with you

Always.

One person

Makes a change.

A little change.

It maybe affects

One person.

That person

Makes a change.

It affects

Two people.

And so on.

And so on.

It helps.

It makes a difference,

Right?

Oh, how I want

To believe it,

In my heart and soul.

Sometimes,

In the face

Of so much apathy,

So much resistance,

So much discouragement,

It gets hard,

Really hard,

To stick to the narrow road,

Through deep valleys,

Climbing such high mountains.

But occasionally, hopefully,

When you reach the top,

You can look down,

And you can see so much glory,

So much praise,

So much victory.

It’s worth doing.

It does

Make a difference.

Follow the path,

Even if

You’re alone.

It’s worth it.