LIFE IS ABSURD

LIFE IS ABSURD.<br />
<br />
From the first intake of breath.<br />
To the last upon our death.<br />
Life is life, no more no less.<br />
At meanings we can only guess.<br />
<br />
Some recognise that life is odd.<br />
Some console themselves with god.<br />
Some believe that life&rsquo;s worthwhile.<br />
Some believe it&rsquo;s all futile.<br />
<br />
In search of meaning some will go.<br />
Because they think that they can know.<br />
They find out all sorts of stuff.<br />
But all they learn is not enough.<br />
<br />
Their searching goes on undeterred.<br />
They won&rsquo;t believe that life&rsquo;s absurd.<br />
They think that knowledge is they key.<br />
A window to eternity.<br />
<br />
It might come as some surprise.<br />
That learning may not make them wise.<br />
When they&rsquo;ve learned all that they can.<br />
They&rsquo;re just a learning artisan.<br />
<br />
Some stay in their naivet&eacute;<br />
And think religion is the way.<br />
Blind faith I find is full of rules.<br />
To trap unwary naive fools.<br />
<br />
Once knowledge has belief debunked.<br />
Faith&rsquo;s philosophically defunct.<br />
So those who are much more astute.<br />
Might seek to find another route.<br />
.<br />
Life can seem hopelessly pointless.<br />
Weird, mad and remorseless.<br />
Your suicide might make you free.<br />
But you would then no longer be.<br />
<br />
You could accept life&rsquo;s meaningless.<br />
With death it has no worthwhileness.<br />
Deep down inside I think you know.<br />
That this is not entirely so.<br />
<br />
Your birth is where all things begin.<br />
Value and meaning grows within.<br />
When you accept that life&rsquo;s absurd.<br />
Then your life might move forward.<br />
<br />
B. Withers 2011<br />
<br />
<br />
<br><br>

Double posting ... from How I feel. Sisyphus - know him well - we rolled a lot of stones together. I once took an existentialism course in college. Earned an A with my wordplay and paraphrasing. Now - maybe I get it (maybe beginning to). I don't think I can stand any more understanding. Quote from a lecture - The existentialist conceptions of freedom and value arise from their view of the individual. Since we are all ultimately alone, isolated islands of subjectivity in an objective world, we have absolute freedom over our internal nature, and the source of our value can only be internal. My 'internal' is suffering a bit but will shift into a higher gear before long.

My highest hope is that all this weirdness, the slumping, sagging, and difficulties I see all around me is part of changing into a new and better way of being - A Dream by B. Withers 1990. I want it to be the manifestation of the dream so many have worked on for so long. I continue to hold sacred space for a shift - a dream coming true - a falling away for something new. You say, With death it has no worthwhileness. That is wrong. Death allows us to remember who we really are and why we lived life to the very best of our ability. It is through the dying that we see the reason for living. Dying before our time limits our understanding of the purpose of pushing that rock to the top - again and again ... understanding the absurd. Dying in due course opens all vision and perception - into the perfection. Carol's viewpoint (I think I will shut up for awhile now - gratitude)

Bill - I very much enjoyed reading your poem, and must say that I feel comfortable with the outlook that the poem conveys. Thanks for the posting. George

Blind faith I find is full of rules to trap unwary naive fools. I am glad the poet called this blind faith as opposed to seeing faith because there is a substantial difference. All of us have some degree of consciousness. Where did this element come from? Aren't we a part of all that has been? I am reasonably confident that underneath all the noise and distractions of daily living there is purpose and meaning to be found. Even if I am wrong, which I doubt, I think the perception of a purpose-driven life makes for a much better ride, hands down. I'll never buy the notion that life is absurd because I know that life is a matter of reality. Let's remember, Horatio, there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy (Hamlet).

Hello everybody,Thank you all so much for your comments, they are really appreciated. The concepts in this one were quite thought provoking for me.( and obviously for you as well) As Dawneagle has intimated, the concepts emanate from 'absurdism' (after existentialism) and particularly the writings of Albert Camus - The Myth of Sisyphus (1942) I do like your response Primeboy which I believe mirrors the response of J. P. Sartre at the time of the original writing.I translate these types of concepts into verse because I think it is important that we are able to think in many dimensions and not just those of the academic and the philosophical. The writings of Shakespear (and whoever else)are other examples of this process of thinking and presenting things in different forms. Best wishes Bill