LEADERS - not followers

Saturday, March 29, 2008

So It Goes

Originally posted for -Top Symbolic

Revived for - Sunday Scribblings Scandalous

COUNTDOWN

Light Years ago, at ten, it commenced.
We sensed a wave of optimism;
rode the rapids at nine; relished
the prosperity. Nobody could
have predicted the severity
of the decline beginning at eight.

We hate the memories it evokes.

We lost all track of time at seven,
but the countdown clock was still ticking,
stubbornly sticking to its schedule

Dark Ages ago, at six…or five,
barely alive, it began – to gnaw
at our bones, asking for direction

Voices we listened to, gave advice,
forced us to face difficult choices.
Four…three…two…it was all but finished.

Diminished responsibility?
A lack of hands-on experience?
We feel it was inevitable.

The final digit; one. No appeal.

Zero; times up. All things; happy, sad,
good or bad, must come at last, to rest.
Our once, twenty-twenty clairvoyance,
and all those blessings we counted,
amounted to mockery; bluffing,

and we got our just deserts…nothing

21 comments:

  1. Yeah, you know what they say? They say there's no such thing as a free lunch!

    Happy Birthday Stan!

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  2. Thanks once more;
    yours truly mason; Just spotted your comment - cheers
    texasblu; promise, potential - it can all turn to dust - usually due to our own attitudes
    ofira sephiroth; thank you
    sweettalkingguy; everyone knows that, but still they try for it. starter - arrogance: main course - dissapointment; (just) desert - nothing

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  3. Wonderful post!

    Belated Happy Birthday, Stan!

    Who is doling out free lunch?

    tunneled view

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  4. gautami tripathy; Thanks for the thought, as well as the comment. Unfortunately the free food's finished - even so, someone had to pay for it.

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  5. This makes you think. Nice! BJ

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  6. I dig the first person plural narration, the wild ride of these pilgrims' (no question they are us) follies. A nice careening.

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  7. Thanks to:
    B. Roan; If only we'd seen it coming!
    Murat11; The way a lot of things start and end.

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  8. Another excellent, enlightening piece.

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  9. Thanks Anthony; Hindsight is often the only way we get to see things clearly.

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  10. This is great, and so original. Terrific piece.

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  11. I like the countdown idea! Different!

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  12. most interesting perspective, to be sure!!!

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  13. Thanks to:
    Gautami Tripathy; Joy-ride's over...for now - waiting for the next wave.
    Keithsramblings; And it applies to so many situations.
    Linda Jacobs; Looking back on any scenario, we see the milestones that we ignored first time round.
    Danni; Climax - anti-climax; we need the high's, but are rarely prepared for the low's.

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  14. Oh, what we would have given for some foresight.

    This was very well done. Glad you revived it.

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  15. very deep.. extremely well written,, and i don't think there is one among us that cannot relate on some level.... excellent write....

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  16. Hi Stan, this has certainly not lost anything since the previous outing.

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  17. Apologies for leaving it late to respond to your comments.
    Thanks to:
    Patois; Hey; I wish I'd known how appropriate a warning it would turn out to be.
    Paisley; It seemed appropriate to dig it up at this time, and yes we've all experienced the fall that follows the pride.
    Andy;It may have even gained a more pertinent meaning.

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