Like Breathing

Behind the bird perched on the chair
In the shade
There is a submarine in the harbor 
In the sun---light
The world doesn't laugh at us
As we so often might feel
But with us, though we don't always---laugh
And so we organize everything around us
As if it was our job to do so.
All the mysterious, deepening wells of
Jokes and complete nonsense found
Absolutely---everywhere
We try to  organize.
As if it was our job to do so.
Though it is no more our job to
Force it to all make sense then
It is the bird's job to sit on the 
Chair in the shade with the sunlit
Sub idle in the rippling water behind
Her---
It is no more our job than breathing is a job.
Like breathing, we just do it.
There is no moral here: just sun and shade, 
Birds and submarines---and humans
Trying to play a non-existent game,
Trying to remember to laugh, trying to stop trying.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2007


Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.

Please Login to post a comment

Date: 9/1/2024 8:28:00 PM
Beathe in. Laugh OL, Breath out. Wow, you've been here a wee bit of a while. "Follow poet" I will do, so I can read more stuff from you.
Login to Reply
Date: 3/22/2010 7:43:00 PM
This is so true, nicely put
Login to Reply
Date: 3/7/2010 4:01:00 PM
Love love this one...goes to the essences of man's quandry..where it is necessary to do? or just to be...I side with the doers...seems like you strive to BE...(say sunlit or sunlight not both in same verse?) Light 7 Love Peter
Login to Reply
Get a Premium Membership
Get more exposure for your poetry and more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Radiant Verses: A Journey Through Inspiring Poetry

Member Area

My Admin
Profile and Settings
Edit My Poems
Edit My Quotes
Edit My Short Stories
Edit My Articles
My Comments Inboxes
My Comments Outboxes
Soup Mail
Poetry Contests
Contest Results/Status
Followers
Poems of Poets I Follow
Friend Builder

Soup Social

Poetry Forum
New/Upcoming Features
The Wall
Soup Facebook Page
Who is Online
Link to Us

Member Poems

Poems - Top 100 New
Poems - Top 100 All-Time
Poems - Best
Poems - by Topic
Poems - New (All)
Poems - New (PM)
Poems - New by Poet
Poems - Read
Poems - Unread

Member Poets

Poets - Best New
Poets - New
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems Recent
Poets - Top 100 Community
Poets - Top 100 Contest

Famous Poems

Famous Poems - African American
Famous Poems - Best
Famous Poems - Classical
Famous Poems - English
Famous Poems - Haiku
Famous Poems - Love
Famous Poems - Short
Famous Poems - Top 100

Famous Poets

Famous Poets - Living
Famous Poets - Most Popular
Famous Poets - Top 100
Famous Poets - Best
Famous Poets - Women
Famous Poets - African American
Famous Poets - Beat
Famous Poets - Cinquain
Famous Poets - Classical
Famous Poets - English
Famous Poets - Haiku
Famous Poets - Hindi
Famous Poets - Jewish
Famous Poets - Love
Famous Poets - Metaphysical
Famous Poets - Modern
Famous Poets - Punjabi
Famous Poets - Romantic
Famous Poets - Spanish
Famous Poets - Suicidal
Famous Poets - Urdu
Famous Poets - War

Poetry Resources

Anagrams
Bible
Book Store
Character Counter
Cliché Finder
Poetry Clichés
Common Words
Copyright Information
Grammar
Grammar Checker
Homonym
Homophones
How to Write a Poem
Lyrics
Love Poem Generator
New Poetic Forms
Plagiarism Checker
Poetry Art
Publishing
Random Word Generator
Spell Checker
What is Good Poetry?
Word Counter