Hiding the Light

(“Still Life”, 2021, original encaustic) Hiding the Light A lot has been happening in my life recently And that’s a good thing considering How staid and stodgy I’ve become In old age. But it’s still a challenge And as one unexpected hurdle after another Comes up, as always will, I’m reminded, from some place deep in my past, Perhaps best called my gut, That now is the best time To simply ‘go with the flow’. My wife latches on to this axiom too And so I know it has the universal resonance Of truth, My wife, being the embodiment, Although long past 42, of the ultimate answer To Life, The Universe, and Everything, At least for me. Then today I hear another truth That strikes like an arrow to the heart, A bull’s eye without room for doubt, That the path for someone like me, And maybe someone like you too, Is to ‘hide the light’. The light we are shines best When we aren’t trying, When we don’t even know it’s shining. So this hiding of the light Is for everyone involved Since it doesn’t help anyone To spin their wheels dwelling Upon the obvious. An honorable man needs no validation. A beautiful woman needs no make-up. And yet validation and a little make-up Is all good too. The light after all is something completely different Maybe felt and not seen Says it best, But people are fooled Much more by what they see than feel, So hiding the light Is as simple as going with the flow Without concern for where it all goes. (6/8/25)