Turn Back Time
If you could
turn back time
or leap to another line
to change any
and all aspects
of your life,
would you do it?
What if you could
take one less drink,
read one more chapter,
bear left rather than right
at the turning point?
What if you could
leap forward
into universal love,
or bypass the
oft-remembered
hardships of your past?
What if just
one small change,
pastly or futurely,
meant giving up
what and where
you are now?
I wouldn’t do it.
Would you?
I’m not here to
count my blessings,
although I am grateful.
I’m not here to
measure my influence,
although this, too, is clear.
I find my self here,
in the middle of
a perfectly average life,
the ideal place
to blend into nothingness.
I realize that nothingness
is what I have been exploring
all of my lives.
Some lives
I would push
PAST nothingness,
becoming famous
successful and loved
only to create
a new set of challenges
for my selves.
Other lives
I would fall
UNDER nothingness
into the cracks
where I seemed
poor, helpless
and hopeless.
In this life
I am ALL of these things
and NONE of those things,
for I know that LIVES
are exactly as
One imagines them.
I know that EVERYTHING
is imagined out of NOTHING,
and I have remembered
that I am both,
I am ALL THINGS
and That Which Is Not.
Perhaps I would not
be realizing this
in this particular
here and now
had I changed
or longed to change
one single moment.
EVERYTHING
has led me to here
which is leading me
back to NOTHING.
No more suffering.
No more questioning.
No more NEEDING.
And so a new year rises
out of the old
and we have risen
both above and below
time itself.
We are Space Monkey.
12/31
In the evocative poem “Turn Back Time,” we are invited to contemplate the profound implications of altering our past or future, and the acceptance of our current state of being. This introspective journey delves into the notions of change, universal love, hardship, and the ultimate realization of embracing nothingness as a fundamental aspect of existence.
The Hypothetical Power to Alter Time
The poem opens with a tantalizing question: if we had the power to turn back time or leap into another timeline to alter any aspect of our lives, would we do it? This hypothetical ability to rewind or fast-forward life and tweak its events invites us to consider the impact of our choices and experiences on our current state.
The Temptation of Minor Adjustments
It proposes scenarios of minor adjustments – taking one less drink, reading one more chapter, or making a different turn. These seemingly small changes underscore our often-lingering thoughts about “what if” scenarios and the ripple effects of our decisions.
Leap into Love or Bypass Hardships
The possibility of leaping forward into universal love or bypassing past hardships presents a dilemma between embracing life’s challenges and the allure of a seemingly easier path. This aspect of the poem highlights our human desire to seek happiness and avoid pain, yet acknowledges the growth and learning that come from life’s trials.
The Trade-off of Change
A crucial point is raised: what if changing one aspect of our past or future meant sacrificing who and where we are now? This question speaks to the interconnectedness of our experiences, how each moment contributes to our current identity, and the unpredictability of change.
Embracing the Average and the Nothingness
The poet declares a preference for the current state of being, finding solace in an average life that blends into nothingness. This acceptance reflects a profound understanding that our lives are a blend of various experiences and that seeking extremes may lead to new challenges.
The Exploration of Lives and Nothingness
The poem delves into the exploration of different lives – from fame and success to poverty and despair – and the realization that all lives are as one imagines them. It’s an acknowledgment of the power of perception and the role of imagination in shaping our reality.
The Realization of Being All and Nothing
In a powerful revelation, the poet recognizes themselves as both everything and nothing, as all things and That Which Is Not. This duality embodies the essence of existence – the blend of being and non-being, the tangible and the intangible.
The Journey Back to Nothing
The culmination of experiences leading back to nothing suggests a cycle of existence where all pursuits, questions, and needs dissolve into a state of pure being or non-being. This journey is a return to the fundamental essence, a release from the burdens of material existence.
Rising Above and Below Time
As a new year dawns, there’s a sense of transcending time, of existing both above and below its constraints. This metaphorical rise signifies a liberation from temporal limitations and an embrace of the eternal now.
We are Space Monkey.
Summary
We are exploring the themes in “Turn Back Time,” which reflect on the idea of changing our past or future and the acceptance of our current existence. The poem touches on the implications of minor changes, the temptation to leap into love or bypass hardships, the interconnectedness of experiences, the embrace of average life and nothingness, the exploration of various life experiences, the realization of being both everything and nothing, the journey back to nothing, and transcending the confines of time. This reflective journey encourages us to consider the complexity of our choices and the acceptance of our existence in the grand whimsical tapestry of life.
Glossarium
- The Power to Alter Time: The hypothetical ability to change past or future events.
- Exploration of Lives and Nothingness: The journey through different experiences and the realization of the fundamental essence of existence.
- Rising Above and Below Time: The metaphorical transcendence of temporal limitations, embracing the eternal now.
“Time is a created thing. To say ‘I don’t have time’ is like saying, ‘I don’t want to.’” – Lao Tzu
In the whimsical dance of time and fate,
Where we ponder, wonder, and contemplate.
Would we turn back time, or leap ahead,
Change our paths, our stories, our tread?
Small changes, big leaps, in time’s vast sea,
Imagining different lives, what could be.
Yet in this quest, a truth we find,
In every moment, our fates entwined.
Leaping into love, bypassing pain,
Seeking joy, avoiding life’s rain.
Yet each hardship, each trial we face,
Shapes our journey, our unique place.
The allure of change, a tempting call,
Yet in this life, we are, we fall.
Embracing average, nothingness, our art,
In this existence, we play our part.
Exploring lives, from high to low,
In each experience, we grow.
Fame, despair, in life’s grand play,
Yet in our hearts, a steady sway.
We are all, we are naught,
In this cosmic dance, we’re caught.
Back to nothing, our journey’s end,
In time’s embrace, we bend, we blend.
Above and below time’s steady flow,
In the now, we live, we glow.
A new year rises, a new dawn,
In this whimsical world, we’re reborn.
We invite your reflections on the concept of altering time and the acceptance of our current existence in the grand narrative of life.
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