Tenets of Loss

Down below I mentioned that poems used to happen to me in all sorts of ways.  Sometimes I would awake from a dead sleep with either a line or a title in my head.  On this occasion it was a couplet.  Since I recognized this for what it was -- the muse gifting me with the beginning of a poem -- I turned on the light and quickly composed it.  As you will be able to tell, it was about 25 years ago.  1998, I believe.  Here 'tis:

Tenets of Loss

(the only sure thing) 

You have nearly escaped the twentieth century with your life.

You are rushing headlong into God knows what.

Turn back. Return

to what you always,

never

were.

Submit; submission, the lesson:

assert truth

without your tongue

or fist.

Decline. Forego. Lose face.

Challenge the challenge, the race.

Who wins? Who loses?

Who cares?

Lose yourself

and win.

Relinquish your grip

and hold on

with open hands.

Forget all except That

which you can't

quite

remember.

Begin

and end.

Recall.

It is tomorrow,

today.