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Saturday 4 February 2012

Yes!

Yes, yea, amen, assent, agree
not on your life, get out of here!
With reservations, it's not clear,
maybe, perhaps, not half, no fear!
What part of no...? or probably...

Compared to these, a simple "yes!"
slips off the tongue so easily...
Why do we not say "Yes!" to life,
to all of it, no holding back?

I thought I did, I thought I had,
though now I do - I think - although
it's taken most of mine to find
that bits of it are out of mind.

I've always seen this furnished room
with picture windows to a sweep
of lawns and trees and distant hills;
a room of beauty, warmth and love.

But here and there a couch or chair,
unnoticed, under sheet or throw
or a protector still in place
on rug or carpet, weave or lace.

Each one a bit of life edged out
by habit or by ignorance -
and one at least, I know for sure,
a victim of religious stance.
............................
Submitted to Poets United for their Thursday Thiink Tank, "Saying yes to something".

19 comments:

Tabor said...

I say maybe or possibly way too many times!

Mary said...

I sometimes think we don't realize how often we say NO or just say NOTHING AT ALL. This is a good reminder to make more conscious decisions to say YES!

Brian Miller said...

Why do we not say "Yes!" to life,
to all of it, no holding back?

i think in that there is a great questions...we say yes and feel our lives for all kinds of reasons...then what is left for life....

Laurie Kolp said...

Yes to life- amen!

Kat Mortensen said...

I can definitely relate to that last line, but I don't hold a grudge.

If we start to ponder all those things we have declined - to second guess where we might have said that "yes", then I think we will come undone.

Ella said...

I took a similar path~
I enjoyed your take on the prompt :D

Kat Mortensen said...

By the way, I really like the nice, bright clean look of your blog. It's so much easier to read and appreciate your fine work.

Kass said...

Oh yes.
Oh yes.

Williamz JungleJuice said...

I suppose the closed circle in your poem is the sense of guilt that so much of modern religion precludes us from accepting in our daily rituals of pleasurable experiences....so it becomes the modern dilemma...how can we say yes to something if it outside our moral compass ?.....Once again...thanx 4 sharing.

rch said...

Yes indeed, quite a quandary, excellent!

Scarlet said...

Yes, indeed to Life.

And I like your last take..many a times we have things still in plastic afraid it will get dirty and many years past, and we never use it ~

Fine writing ~

Other Mary said...

Oh Dave, you've nailed it! Why is it so blasted hard to just say yes, and plunge ahead, no looking back? Great imagery here too. It's always a treat, and often a challenge reading your poetry. Kudos once again.

Daydreamertoo said...

We sometimes are so busy in the rat race, we forget we are supposed to actually 'live' our lives and not just go through it's daily motions.
Lovely writing, well said, with a resounding 'Yes' :)

kaykuala said...

Saying No is easier as it does not involve an obligation or commitment. We're afraid of saying Yes lest we get the feeling of getting 'caught' or trapped.

Hank

Windsmoke. said...

"Yes" to life and "Whatever" for other things to avoid a commitment :-).

haricot said...

They say that many Japanese are poor at denying. Nor we do not have background as Christian.
So, I only speculate the deepth of the meaning of sincere "Yes".

Dave King said...

Tabor
Me too!

Mary
I'm sure that's right. Nothing seems to be the default response.

Brian
I agree. Sad, really. I read somewhere that it's a safety valve - but do we overprice safely?

Laurie
And Amen to that!

Kat
Ah, maybe that's where the safety valve lies! (Seereply to Brian, above.)
And many thanks for your second comment. Much appreciated - and very useful to know.

Ella
Hi, welcome. Good to have your comment.

Kass
Thanks for the confirmation.

Williamz
Yes, once again you have correctly unravelled my thinking. It seems to me there are too many prohibitions as well as too any required beliefs in (organised) religions.

rch
Right! Yes, it is tempting to make the answer too simple, but you are correct: it is a quandary.

Heaven
Thanks for this. Yes, generally I think we tend towards the overprotective.

Other Mary
Much thanks for this. So glad you liked it - and great to have the feedback.

Daydreamertoo
I agree. Thanks for saying.

Hank
Indeed - and, of course, we can get trapped.

Windsmoke
Exactly!

haricot
Your first sentence surprises me. I did not know that. I do not associate this with a specifically Christian background. I think it applies across all faiths and none.

Madeleine Begun Kane said...

Delightfully uplifting poem!

Kat Mortensen said...

My safety valve works overtime.