QUARTER

sometimes things don't work out as planned
what i was trying to say
may not always come out right
it might get mixed up
or misplaced
or read in a different context
the art of living is personal
but it shouldn't be taken personally
i realize i ain't the most tactful of people
i say and do a lotta things that i feel sorry about afterwards
though more often than not
it's the things i don't do that i regret
the thing you gotta remember about the art of living
is that it ain't a polished piece of work
nor a carefully edited text
it ain't a peer-reviewed paper
nor a prettily packaged product
it certainly ain't the finished article
the aol is what i feel like typing out
when i got enough p & q
to sit down at my sliding desk for a few minutes
i boot up
sign in
prod away at the keys
check for typos
change any bits that don't scan
remedy the clumsy misturns of phrase
then publish the post
it's raw and it's instant
and it certainly ain't perfect
the aol ain't always logical or rational either
it's more an aspiration
a search for truth
a detective trail
uncovering the meaning that lurks in the shadows
just below the surface
an ambitious goal
an honest confession
a winding road
a convoluted journey
a messy canvas
a stuttering story with a mistimed punchline
an evolving attitude
an open mindset
the aol is a little bit like democracy
it's something that has to be protected
nurtured
and fought for every day
sometimes it stumbles around hopelessly in the dark
other times it is drawn unblinkingly forward
toward a pure white shining light
it's like a punchbag
or one of those weird wobbly children's toys
that takes the punches
absorbs the punishment and pain
and keeps on bouncing back
it makes mistakes
and sometimes it probably makes enemies
but above all
it gives quarter
and expects it in return