{pantoum: Whatever what is is, is what I want}

What Is, Will Be

I aspire to, “what is will be,”
Yet live in impatience and stress
“What happens, accepted,” is key
In living a life of success.

“Yet live, in impatience and stress
And survive,” is the goal, you’ll agree.
In living a life of success
You must free yourself of decrees.

To survive is the goal, you’ll agree.
“Stuff happens – accept it!” is key
In living a life of success
I aspire to, “what is, will be,”

Hayford Mills 315

Almost two years ago a conversation amongst the Princesses revealed some disquieting news – a lost job, a troubled partner, struggling kids. One of us dug out the Keillor, as one does during these times, and quoted from Good Poems for Hard Times (ed. Garrison Keillor):

Prayer

Whatever happens. Whatever
what is is is what
I want. Only that. But that.

Galway Kinnell

The tiny nugget of difficult wisdom has reverberated. Whatever “what is” is supposed to be, is all I want. I wish I were the type of person who could easily exhale, acquiesce and exist in “que cera,” “Thy Will be done,” “Whatever will be…”

Maybe someday.

NB: These poems appear as they appeared, so this one is not very good, but it is what it is. See? Learning already.