Slice of life

Many a times we spend so much time worrying about life, we do not have the time to live it. Much time is also spent preparing for tomorrow and today passes us by, unnoticed. Yet strangely and simply, it seems that despite our fears, tears and snares, “life is for living” and “living for is life”.

Yeah, it does look like “what is life” amounts to “life is what” irrespective of what the scientists, theologians and philosophers say.

I too have a take on Life and from my 1983 collection of poems, titled VIEW, I share a few with you that reflects a view or slice of life.

Slice of Life as I dubbed them are simply expressions created from my youthful impressions of life then. Hope you like.

JAH FIRST
(For mom and Vaneker)

I find myself looking

On all I have been through

False accusations, belittling

And all types of blues.

 

I knew I could easily be

What they want me to be;

Big cars and looking pretty,

Friend this and all I can see

 

I know what I want to be,

So the more they force me

The more I learn of what is true:

Jah first, all will be added to you

 

WHAT IS LIFE?

It is a race be run and won.

The goal, immortality.

The winner, loser of all vanity.

 

It is not a race for the swift

But for one who is slow enough to ask,

“what is life?”

 

What is life?

Is it a process that will cease?

No, never, Life is God,

And who is God?

 

God is love, God is peace.

Put love in your heart,

Be at peace with yourself

And rightfully you will receive God.

And that is life, eternal life,

The goal of men.

 

LIFE

Life is a tree.

It grows from a seed.

Nurtured, it will spread beautifully

But there is always someone

To chop a branch off the tree.

 

Life never stops there

Like the tree, it grows new buds;

Younger branches growing like the prototype

With more puissance and more strength.

 

YOUTH THOUGHTS

I am young,

Plenty of time for goals.

Young green boy,

So I am told.

 

I always listen,

Always try to know

Was it like this,

Will it still be so?

 

Imagine me,

Growing as a youth.

Thinking, planning,

What is truth?

 

A day will come ,

I may grow old.

Family life soon,

Children to scold.

 

Where from  there

Would depend on me;

End of life’s way

Or joy for eternity.

 

TRIALS

There are many steps to climb,

And many trials to face,

Many questions will flash through one’s mind

Yes, crucial decisions to make.

 

I have succeeded, at times I fail,

But I say the Lord knows why.

So if I fail, I take stock of them.

Life is a teacher, it points out faults.

 

There may be gold at the rainbow’s end

And he who tries, may find it;

But I don’t like to search in vain.

Where does a rainbow start?

Where does a rainbow ends?

 

VIEW

Easy was related to comfort

But these were hard to find.

It took determination and the Lord’s help

To be in front, away from misery.

 

The trend is tightly sealed.

The chains , strong to their weakest links,

But we have finally realized

To stop a man takes more than killing him.

Understand my friends, get the know how.

Don’t shy away, that’s what they want.

Remember, they don’t know you

But you know them.

 

SEASONS

Eagerly awaited Spring, has finally come.

A time of year, always remembered by the aged.

The young supple and decisive time….

Oh Spring! Are you leaving us.

 

Spring has gone, but not for long.

It’s time for Summer to be master:

The active , strong and brilliant part of life.

Summer! Not you too? Don’t leave us!

 

Autumn steps in as ancient as time.

A time to cry, but do you want to?

It’s the realizing, preparing and waiting.

Strange, these happen only in autumn.

 

Winter is here, tell everyone it’s Winter.

A time when people and birds go south:

The cold, shivering and miserable Winter.

Winter, hey Winter! Aren’t you gone?

Spring, oh eagerly awaited Spring.

 

PROVERBS AND LIFE

An old Jamaican saying goes,

“There are two sides to every story:

One is for, the other against.

Another saying goes, “Try, try

And try, if at the one thousandth time

You still fail, try again.

 

This is very tiresome and discouraging

But people say, “Good for those who endure.”

“ A drowning man will catch at a straw.”

What does this proverb really mean?

Desperate people respect no one.

 

They say that new brooms do sweep clean,

Yet old brooms know the corners.

If I live by rules, I’ll never know you.

Doesn’t familiarity breeds contempt,

Distance brings and breeds respect??

Proverbs, proverbs, life, life

Proverbs and life.

 

DOUBTS

Take a good look at me Lord.

Why do I find it so hard?

I find it so hard to face reality,

Doubts are ever lingering with me.

 

Sometimes I think I am wrong

But how could that be? I know I am right.

Doubts! Did not Thomas doubt too?

He had to see and feel to believe it was true.

 

Am I to be blamed, Lord, am I?

Should I be given a chance to prove myself.

What? Oh Lord! You are wisdom and Knowledge,

You are Understanding: a good friend to have.

 

THE UNKNOWN

In the heart of man

Lies unknown things;

Quite unknown.

 

In the head of man

Lies things unknown;

Unknown.

 

If man had known

The Unknown….

 

If man was independent

of the unknown…

 

Things would be erased,

Leaving the Unknown

Unknown.

 

The great knowledge

of the Unknown,

Is the essence of life

Making men’s puny knowledge

quite unfelt.

 

NOTCLIF: THE POET- Slice of Life is taken from VIEW: 1983 collection of poems by Clifton Neil.  Get a free copy by joining our mailing list on www.wordfoodmusic.com.