Experiential Knowledge
The answer you are seeking is hiding in the life you are living.
Experiential Knowledge
He was 40, 45 at most
and we used to
sit out on the back steps
not saying much,
every now and then
a comment about
what passed by,
a truck, an old woman, a dog.
One day
I started saying how
I didn’t know
what to do with
the rest of my life -
go east, go west, stay put
get married, see the world
college, wrestling, poetry …
He scratched his head
and flicked his cigarette
into the forgiving air.
He says,
”There’s only one thing you got to do in your life.”
And I ask,
”Ugh? What’s that?”
And he says,
”Only you can find that out.
Once you do, everything else
is just commentary, refuse, result.”
I’m now 60 and
I’ve finally found out
I’m part of the answer
of what to do.
I’m learning to conquer contingency.