Reasoning

Look,

I said, earnest and concerned,

You can’t have a bad good

Or a good bad

For if you did, how could you then 

know anything?

(a conversation I was having in my mind)

The ancient text entreats:

“My son, eat thou honey,

for it is good,”

And elsewhere,

“Butter and honey shall he eat

That he may know to refuse the evil

and choose the good."

See? I said (in my mind)

You have to trust that

you can tell what good is

That you can know it by its fruits

You have to trust that if it’s love

you’ll love to do it

It will feed you, will sustain you

It will feel right.

Your constant vigilance will be for naught

if you imagine arcane texts

and tenuous interpretations

have more weight than your internal compass —

The weight of your joy

The overwhelming vastness

of your need

The unspeakable depth

your love can plumb

(and does so every day)

to meet it.

©Wendy Mulhern

November 28, 2011