James Moore Poet Rhyme

Notes About The Poem

("Meaning of Life Merit Badge", 2010, original oil)

 

Theories About Theories

In a looking glass world
We’d talk over tea
On theories about theories
As if we could see
What the basic ground
Of those theories actually means
And what we would do then
If we weren’t all just teens.

We’d talk, talk and talk 
With nothing to show
As if talk made it something 
You could actually know,
But of course we all failed 
And just couldn’t see 
that doing not thinking 
Is what makes you free.

In the morning we try 
Something new in the light
Reading the tea leaves we’d left 
There in the darkness of night
All exhausted by theories 
Reduced by Moon to a howl
Thinking things would be better
If we just threw in the towel.

Figuring it’s something Alice 
Might do, when she was just small
Or maybe quite large, 
And so taller than tall
At least something Caterpillar
Would say was worth doing 
Certainly better than arguing
Or sitting there stewing.

So then all clear headed 
We head out and about
To grok a day full of things 
Without question or doubt
Until with night fall at last
It begins once again
All those words about thoughts 
Of who, what, where and when.

Oh, such is the life 
Of delusional youth
Confusing questions and answers
With actual truth
Not knowing that one day
All spinning tops come to rest
A simple entropic fact
That stops even the best.

And when it all stops 
Then what do you do
Who are you then
When your theories are through?
Well, whatever it is
It’ll certainly be that
You might even become
A Cat in the Hat.

(9/19/26)

♡Like0

Share Poem

---

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