50th B-day celebration, 2004, Marc Bass on harmonica

Tuning In

3/19/09

There is no greater imperative

for 'know thy self' is at the root

of understanding life's existence

through singularly unique filters

our 'body/mind/spirit/emotion' entity

that is constantly recreating itself

according to circumstances pressing in

and how we equate, assume, react,

where response reveals inner world,

jerky, graceful, empowered, fearful,

often only seen in the distancing,

days, weeks, years pass for hindsight

to witness missed cues or actions taken

then measured according to criteria

mostly that of family, societal upbringing,

amount of education, our working knowledge,

plus wisdom gleaned or imparted by elders

comparing ourselves to others idolized

whether affections are justified or not

which becomes ground for discovery

depending the depth we choose to dig,

do we passively accept what's fed us

or chew on a wide world of ideas

finding our own individual sustenance

no matter how anyone else does it

by tuning in to what turns us on.