A paradox is an entryway~
one that disappears the moment you walk through it;
somehow, though, you still end up
on the other side.
It is a question answering itself
by refusing to answer~
a mirror that reflects
only the act of looking.
Call it truth wearing its coat inside out,
logic tying its own shoelaces together,
hiding meaning in the very place
it claims cannot exist.
And the strangest part:
the more you try to solve a paradox,
the more it solves you.
Beware the catch 22
You're damned if you don't, and damned if you do.
Take a drug so cancer won't restart
Side effects give you a congestive heart
Thin the blood so a stroke won't begin,
Internal bleeding and you just can't win.
I got a wolf by the ears
Can't bite me yet, but I'm shedding tears.
When I let go, he'll take a bite
I'm losing my grip, I'm turning white.
You're sorry for those single Mothers
Didn't have husbands, just "significant others"
So you subsidize them with taxpayer billions:
Now more on welfare, about six millions.
You need the cops to pursue a story, to prove you're not mad
But the story is extreme, so no investigation will be had.
Between a rock and a hard place, you're stuck in a bind
I don't blame you for going out of your mind.
You need experience to get a job, but there's a Catch22
Without a job, can't get experience, so what can you do?
Life writes riddles that are hard to circumvent
The path you thought was straight was crooked and bent.
Turn to the left and the trouble grows,
Turn to the right and the same wind blows.
So you laugh a little, though you really feel blue:
That's the strange world of Catch-22.
The beginning
of the end
The end
of the beginning
To look
and not see
A desperate
path
To start
what can’t finish
Destroying
tomorrow
When eyes
remain closed
The future
— uncast
(Dreamsleep: June, 2025)
Catch-22
If I say I love you
I’m too possessive.
If I fail to say I love you
I’m not romantic enough.
If I work twelve-hour days
I don’t spend enough time with you.
If I only work four-hour days
I don’t show enough ambition.
If I discipline the children
I’m too harsh.
If I don’t discipline the children
I’m too lax.
If I suggest we go on a date
I’m to frivolous.
If I suggest we just stay at home
I’m too cheap.
If I want to be intimate
I’m oversexed.
If I’m not in the mood
I’m not a good lover.
If I want to be spur of the moment
I’m too impulsive.
If I want to plan
I’m too overly cautious.
I can’t win for losing.
I’m in a catch-22.
Insanity in defense of insanity’s insanity.
©7/18/2023
Life is full of Catch-22s. You can and you can’t; You shall and you shan’t; You will and you won’t;
"You will be damned if you do, and you will be damned if you don’t”
~American evangelist Lorenzo Dow
Without the battle of Armageddon
there’s no Kingdom of Heaven,
There’s no salvation
without the Crucifixion,
There’s no concept of good
without the presence of evil,
No light of day
without the darkness of night,
No yearning for Heaven
without the threat of Hell,
There’s no God
without the devil,
There’s no life
without death.
~02/06/22
~Contest: Buzzwords
~Sponsor: Kim Rodrigues.
burkas banned in France
yet since covid nineteen spread
everyone wears masks
Sponsor Tania Kitchin.
1 / 13 / 2021.
Our sphere without love
how do we live life complete
seasons of duel droughts
a house divided.
mom and dad at war.
mom is to the right,
dad is to the left.
child stuck in-between...
is confused and
devastated.
bitter divorce,
all but certain.
who do I...
live with now?
mom or dad?
why choose?
why not...
both?
Date written: 07/03/2020
Troubled time O Raheem,
Empty, each of my palm,
In truth, world nor its dream,
In falsehood there’s no Ram!
_______________________________________________
Raheem was a saint poet of medieval time in India. This translation comes from one of his couplets; following is its transliteration:
ab raheem mushkil padi, gadhe dou kam;
sanche to jag nahin, juthe milen na ram.
Raheem beautifully essays the reality in this world. If one were to follow the path of truth, there is this world for him nor its dream. In falsehood, obviously one has to sacrifice the blessings of God-- Ram as Raheem puts it.
________________________________________________
Translations |09.01.14 |
catch-22....
contradictory rules may apply
within a series of seemly arbitrary regulations
catch-22....
absurd constraints will exist
within this paradoxical situation
catch-22....
a hidden clause does exist
within the very foundation
upon which we stood
catch-22....
used to be able to find
the existing loopholes
that once were thought
to exist within the levels
of our existence
catch-22....
now it seems as though
the exceptions to the rules
are all but none existent now
within this new realm of reality
that we find ourselves living in
catch-22....
There's no Kingdom of Heaven
Without the battle of Armageddon,
There's no salvation
Without the Crucifixion,
There's no concept of good
Without the presence of evil,
There's no yearning for Heaven
Without the threat of Hell,
There's no God
Without the devil,
There's no life
Without death!
A woman seeks all that leaves her distraught
In pursuit of extrinsic desires anew
From a dead end grave startled she wakes
Within her eyes fate appeared to be taut
Thoughts delivered warnings in queue
Though on occasion rare she’d have spaked
Along the village nimble she scurried
In the passenger seat of a surrey
Engaged in the act never was she caught
Many a men’s heart she had toiled
Indefinite tribulation it had brought
Often formulas had been foiled
‘Tis not what she had sought
Forsaken eminence to be spoiled
When forever finally comes to town
Not sure I wanna be around
When it stands outside to
Knock upon my door
I’ll hide inside
Not make a sound
Turn out the lights
Get on the ground
Lay in the quiet
Shadow of the floor
And if forever’s not deterred
No worry, I’ll plan for the worst
I’ll wait it out
I’ll stock up every shelf
I’ll let forever
Knock all day
And hope it finally
Goes away
Don’t answer’s what
I’ll sit and tell myself
And if forever starts to pound
Hard on the door to knock it down
I’ll stack the furniture
Up high and deep
I’ll nail some boards
Ill brace, I’ll wedge
I’ll cross my heart
I’ll make a pledge!
That, “While forever’s there
I’ll never sleep”
For in the end I know I’ll win
I’ll never let forever in
Nor ever let it have
Its’ way with me
And I’ll not step
Outside again
Yes, can’t you see
I’m bound to win
Forever locked inside…
Is where I’ll be
Well, there is a loophole right there.
And by golly gee there’s one here.
Easy to step into those cracks,
Losing balance and be all out of whack.
Step by step and baby ones at that,
Tiptoeing and being mighty slow.
But I bet you have all come to know,
A catch 22 has a knack.
Nothing is glued,
Too many corner stones,
How lewd!
Fragile are my bones.
Peeping through,
Seeing route 44’s for those catch 22’s.
®Registered: Ann Rich 2005
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