the art of need

we do too much
harm
to one another

too much death
by foolish hands

too much innocence
spent
on ignorance

if we could live
simply for living
simply for understanding
and compassion,
what lives could be led
in this way
to hide our atrocities
our delusion
our fateful crimes
of the past
to cover up the idiot
ways which we proceeded
so the youth would not see
the full range
of our foolishness

and if we could leave those
things in the past
continuing forward,
always forward
from this moment on
to concentrate on
the right here and now
and never look back

but there is so much
looking back
so much time wasted
on concepts of time

all we need is
nourishment
and love
and shelter
from the
elements

everything else
makes us stagger