J. I. Thomas F. Poet Free verse

The Problems We Face

It is easy to be discouraged,
dismissive,
dismayed,
deranged,
by the headaches incarnate
we have been tasked to solve
by ourselves or others
always somehow for our benefit.
For labor, for learning, for leisure ...
We will even create our own problems 
if we have to.
And is there anything quite like
complaining about our problems 
to make us feel justified in our laziness,
our perceived nobility
that is spit upon daily by such pathetic, unworthy worries ...
We think we know ourselves to be
better than the struggles we endure.
Perhaps we are.
Yet consider this - 
You only have so many years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, and seconds.
And you will solve only so many problems
in your time.
And they will define you.
Toil well while you sow in the fields of your struggles
that you may reap greater and nobler problems.
And if you cannot look at your labors with love,
at least do not look at them with hate.
For we only have the time and energy for so many problems
before we can no longer toil.

Written while flying from Denver to Houston on 28 January 2021

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