Chainlink - Poetry and Wisdom
Truly there's little that I know -
no genius shall I impart;
part of me balks - this can't be so!
Sobering insights fuel my art!
Articulate, thus I relate
relationships 'twixt brain and ink;
inklings of truth in what I state -
statements profound on what I think.
Think you, perhaps, it can't be right -
writing much verse when I know not?
Nought is what spurs me on despite
spiteful disdain for knowledge taught.
Taught I have been in life's own school -
schooled in the ways of my own heart.
Heartless are those who think me fool -
foolishness is the poet's art.
Sharon Flood Kasenberg, March 21, 2011
A hefty tome on my bookshelf introduced me to a form of poetry known as Chain Verse. In this type of poetry (also known as echoing), sounds are repeated in a pattern. In the poem I wrote, the sound at the end of each line is repeated at the beginning of the next line. It might sound simplistic, but writing a poem this way, or at least one that actually makes a bit of sense, requires considerable effort.
As I re-read this poem today something clicked. I thought about how much our lives are like chain verse, especially when written in the form I chose. All of our thoughts, reactions and decisions are (almost always) built upon something that came before. Those thoughts, reactions and decisions may vary, just as the echoing sounds in my poem were sometimes built upon. Art became articulate, ink became inklings, state became statements, and at least one fool gave way to foolishness. All proof that art imitates life imitating art.
Have I lost you yet?
This poem has a very circular nature - I begin and end by stating how much I don't know. In the first stanza I'm a bit incredulous - isn't my job (as a poet) is to share my wisdom? By the second stanza I'm amending my opinion about the link between poetry and wisdom. Poetic expression is now more about articulating my thoughts and ideas than dispersing wisdom to the masses. By stanza three I'm making the bold admission that it is actually ignorance that spurs me on - I know that much of what I've learned isn't vital to my ability to communicate. The final stanza sums up my feelings toward wisdom and poetry - I feel sorry for the soulless masses who shun experiential learning in favour of formal education and a dogmatic approach to learning. Foolishness wins the day as I conclude that I respect my own art form, even though I know many will see my efforts and opinions as "foolish".
There is so much circularity in life. We begin being dependent on our parents and end by needing love and support from our children. And from where we began to where we'll finish, we'll live and grow one thought, one idea, one choice at a time - links on a chain - all based on what we just observed, thought, said, heard, did, went or wanted.
Every step of the way we will be searching - looking for new ways to define ourselves and carve out new roles in society. Each of us will exist as merely a single tiny organism living and moving on another smallish organism that is orbiting something bigger and brighter. Considering our insignificance this way can be hard on the ego, and egos by nature like to be big. We'll often need to make size adjustments on each link of our chain. Never be afraid of self-examination. It's inevitable that we'll spend much of our lives battling with ourselves, fighting to make smaller aspects of ourselves big and bigger aspects small. We will struggle to contain ego and anger and frustration. We will struggle to increase our self-worth by proving that we're smart, desirable, talented or just plain good.
Some of us will achieve a level of validation when others acknowledge something we do well. Some of us will decide to validate our own existence by ceasing to worry about what everyone else thinks. I'm hoping that eventually I'll end up in that second group.
For now, there isn't much that I possess in terms of absolute truth or intelligence. My wisdom is of the earthy, common sense variety. No plaques hang on my wall to justify my spot among the educated, honoured, venerated or elite. I am in every sense a lowly poet - a keen observer of my fellow men and my corner of the universe. I'm not brilliant, not exceptional in any particular way. But one thing I can say in my own favour is that I'm no longer terrified to share what I think or to speak my mind. Losing that fear has added another important link to my chain - something that I feel certain I'll continue to forge strong links onto.
The school of life has taught me to embrace my ignorance and foolishness. I watch, I examine and I learn as I go - building upon my experiences with a hopeful sort of faith in myself and humanity. I hope that eventually my unique combination of faith and folly will help me to think better thoughts, make wiser decisions and react with dignity to whatever challenges I face while I traverse the path of trial and error that will lead to my life's conclusion.
Someday, when I am old and needy, I hope that my sons will see me as someone who forged a strong chain - someone who kept searching when answers weren't evident, someone who continued to think and question and express my own flawed opinions until the bitter end.. I hope they'll know that I wasn't afraid to toss out my tired old maps and journey down new roads; to scrap a few old recipes and cook "from scratch." I hope they'll have heart enough to accept my foolishness and to understand how liberating it can be to admit to intellectual defeat at times; to shrug your shoulders and admit that there's a whole lot that you just don't know. I hope that they'll have learned that the strongest hearts are often filled with fear and doubt, and that ignorance is both your best friend and your worst enemy. I hope they gain an intimate knowledge of the dual nature of their own areas of ignorance.
Just as I'm guided by echoing wisdom from those whose lives have had positive impact on mine, I hope that some of the wiser things I've said and done will echo in the ears of my posterity. (My ego even dares to hope a line or two of my verse will sometimes come to mind.)
It is hard to keep all the endings and beginnings in life echoing harmoniously. It's challenging to keep building on what we've started to figure out in a rational, sensible way. It might be silly to believe that anyone can find a kernel of wisdom in my poetic ramblings. I can live with a little bit of silly. It really doesn't matter whether I'm hailed as an intellect. My job, as poet - and as student of life - is to observe, think and communicate. My goal is to simply encourage thought in those who take the time to read my musings.
Observe, experience, think, react and choose. Repeat this process until your chain is completed, and you reach the place where you began - needy and vulnerable. You'll probably still be ignorant too, but perhaps a little less so.
Forge the strongest, most sensible chain you can. Remember that those who rely on others to validate their accomplishments are apt to become emotional invalids, and that the biggest fools are the ones who shun all foolishness. And remember how unwise it is to think yourself too wise.
Listen for the echo.
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