Tales

“God laid down this law, saying: if you want some good, get it from yourself.” — EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 1.29.4

I’ve always known

There are two sides

To coins, tales and events

The right one

The one that is true

And then the opposite

As time has passed

Looking at the dark side

The wrong side

And the side of lies

Has helped affirm the path

Looking into the darkness

Does not mean

One takes up residence

Examining this other side

Has clarified the beauty

In the world

In people

It has reenforced

The notion

That hate, lying and carrying out harm

Are choices one makes

So, choose to go peacefully

With light in your step

Kindness in your heart

Willingness to aid if you can

Most importantly

Know you have a choice

To do better

To let go

Of what doesn’t serve  

 

~  watercolour pencil on paper 

  

 

 

 

 

Reviews

[Fabian G. Franklin]

Sounds like a sound philosophical approach to life. Sometimes, by our choosing or not we end up in bad places but when we're going through them we got to just keep going. I enjoyed the read. Nice artwork too.

[MCS]

Fabian, thank you for your visit and thoughts. I believe it was Winston Churchill who said if you find yourself in hell keep going.

[emipoemi]

Without punctuation, I gotta say it was really hard to determine whether you intended to say "pasted" or "passed" - I'm pretty sure you wanted to say "passed" and not "pasted" and I would be remiss if I didn't mention that. The poem itself, though, as a whole has a nice message - profound though simple, and you weave it nicely right to the end where you leave us with a sweet and cautionary moral. Well done.

[MCS]

the edit is much appreciated, thank you

[emipoemi]

always happy to help

[Marie]

What beautiful truths you have revealed to your reader in this superbly penned poem, complemented by a most beautiful watercolour painting of Winter.
Yes, there are two sides to everything except to a human being. A human being has so many sides to their personality, they are numberless. Some have more faces than the Town Clock which has four! Their face depends on whom they meet and how they want to be seen by that person.
Yes, we have a choice and some make choices depending on what they have to gain from a situation, etc. Others make spur of the moment choices which they later regret. What most people forget is that THEY are responsible for the choices they make.
I love the excellent advice you give to your reader, dear poet.
"So, choose to go peacefully
With light in your step
Kindness in your heart
Willingness to aid if you can
Most importantly
Know you have a choice
To do better
To let go
Of what doesn’t serve".
Exquisite penning, dear MCS. I so enjoyed reading and thank you for sharing...

[MCS]

Marie, I can't thank you enough for your kind sharing. Be well my friends, sincerely Mary

[Marie]

Most welcome always, dear poetess. Thank you for your kind words...