"Sprightly”
(c)2010 Bob Atkinson
letting spirits flow inside
the ordinary believe the wise
control all that is emotional
passively reacting, never vocal
but then, a good segment feels
there is no need for suppression
of those feelings that motivate,
please, fulfill, warm or satiate
who is right in this furious debate?
who calls all the right shots here of late?
who really loses their minds?
who gives the best answer to
one fickle riddle of mine?
No, don't look at me
I'm not into barking up trees
I don't know how to solve this problem
or care to look into its solution
taking sides here in this issue
can't be something for me to answer
fills my heart to know that I'm
one who sees some truth in both sides
not to straddle fences barbed
or save one's soul by laughing hard
at those who show emotion's tides
or those who never show smile lines
variety of being isn't all that bad
when we look at ourselves for long
we think that every one of us
should be alike in all we do
this thought of us looking all the same
of each of our paths firmly arranged
in some fixed directional order
no swaying this way or that way either
carries with it a strong odor of compromise
of control of my strongest ties
to choosing my own path of life
and freeing me of nature's fish school burden
gives me pain to think about
a world without a diverse crowd
no twisting this way, or to that
no spices tossed into the vat
a life with happy people showing smiles
mixed with others, those with frowns
can provide what is not available
to the homogenized crowds' tables
