A Cheshire Cat SmileWhen it turns dark outside, when fear
and anxiety threaten, when depression
becomes overwhelming and we try to
call out for help and stern faces become
angry and turn away, admonishing us to
reflect upon our sins and stop bothering
good citizens, to strive for excellence
Then the ideal of self-improvement loses its
power to guide, our mental gyroscope starts
turning wildly without sense of direction, we
are lost on a sea of uncertainty without the
right or ability to enlist help in solving our
problems – then it is time to withdraw as
deep as possible into our shell
Escape existential pain by curtailing existence
cutting off parts of ourselves and burying them
in places inaccessible, donning a mask to face
the outside world, playing a role, being a clown
killing the feeling of nihilism by deleting that part
of ourselves where the feeling is manifesting
hiding dark thoughts in the mind
When we try to explain what is bothering us and
we encounter hostility, outright rejection and strict
injunction to follow rules or suffer the consequences
while shortcomings and inadequacies are emphasized
we lose the channel of communication with the outside
world - only by diminishing ourselves to a Cheshire cat
smile are we allowed attempt at expression
Of the miniscule part of ourselves that are acceptable
to our fellow-men...
2 comments:
This is a very neat poem. It leaves me with lots of different thoughts.
I tend to feel that when we delve deep in its because we need new answers. And these are often answers that can't be found outside of us, but only generated anew from deep inside of us.
Sort of like Joseph Campbell's "the hero's journey".
Of course, I don't want to really pretend I know what I am talking about!
And a poet friend even helped by espressing my pain in words and thus allowing me to use it as a spring board to express my own bewilderment and fear - and your reply shows how much you understand - thank you so much! My fear of asking help is bigger than the problem which needs to be solved...
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