Is this life-play pre-staged –
reservations made in childhood
when fun constituted priority,
and drama thrived, unchecked
by adults, bemoaning authority,
too self-absorbed to conceive
consequences beyond jest?
Or did some karmic assessment
initiate the unfolding –
social standing, and needs
prescribed as lessons,
dependents selected as inspiration,
and if so, is there a contract
revealed upon ultimate exit
or a certificate of completion
securing passage upwards?
Where does a woman store her dreams
while children need chauffeuring
and parents’ health is in decline?
What goal does she dare strive for,
that won’t supersede obligation,
nor tax already waning energy?
Why is it that her efforts –
exceeding expectations –
often fail, demanding more?
How does she keep hope alive
when illness usurps functioning
and the off-ramp is miles behind?
Who will carry her when winter’s grasp
makes passage undependable, and
she has no choice but to surrender?
(V.J.’s challenge this week is questions.)
What lies ahead,
when pain has clouded the past
and fear is choking the present?
Is it possible to glimpse the future
without projection, without prejudice,
or do we need to clear the heart
before we can be guided by hope?
One Woman's Quest 