Future Imperfect, Present Tense, Past Perfect

[First "published" in 2006.]

(Or Future Perfect, Present Tense and Past Imperfect)

Life is only as complicated as we think it is

The only important thing to know is this

Eat when you’re hungry, sleep when you’re weary

Laugh when you’re happy, sigh when you’re teary

Cry if you need to, frown if you must

Leave when you’re angry, forgive if you can’t forget

Make fewer enemies, make friends you can trust

Make mistakes if you have to but do not regret

Say sorry when you’re wrong, grin proudly when you’re right

This is a truth known both to the stupid and the bright

Sing when you’re happy, yawn when you’re sleepy

Sleep too little and you’ll wake up grumpy

Keep secrets a secret, and keep close to your family

Keep trying if it’s important, keep cool when it’s all so silly.

Keep fighting if it’s  worth it, choose wisely the battles you fight

Not every fight’s worth winning, but some you fight because it’s right

Some things you do for money, some things you do for love

Some things you do because it needs to be done

And some you just do because it seemed like fun

Some things you wish you’d never done, but until you did you didn’t know

So I guess you needed to do it so you’d know you needn’t had done.

Some things you’ll never figure out, some things you’ll always doubt

Some things are really silly, but you like them any how

Some things you think you understand, some things you think you know

But to question things you think you understand is the only way to grow.

Some things are quite unpredictable, but so what? Most things are

There’s no need to worry or try to see that far.

Each day is a promise each morning a test

Each night is a reward and the reward is your rest

Time seems a-flying, time seems to crawl

Sometimes you’re soaring, and sometimes you fall

Day turns to night as night turns to day

Words unspoken can be louder than those that you say

Share a moment with someone you love

Take a moment to be by yourself

Let your thoughts fly where they want to go

Then just be. Exactly. Where. You. Are.

[This was first written in 2006, in answer to a friend's question about why life was so complicated. Unfortunately, (or fortunately), I was then in my "Zen" or "Tao" stage of life. I think I still am. So I wrote this to say that life does not have to be complicated. We tend to make things complicated. Just be. 

Now more than 10 years on, it still resonates. For me, anyway.]