This is the time of transition

A poem about change

In this poem, I reflect on non-linear change, especially how messy it is, full of uncertainties and discomforts, endings and beginnings, paradoxes and conflicts. Although the poem is not specifically about the ancient Chinese divination I Ching, which also known as the Book of Changes, the related Taoist philosophy represented by the Tai-Chi symbol of intertwining opposites captures the spirit of navigating a dynamic world.

The Book of Changes - Part 1

A poem by Wayne Visser

This is the time of transition
The rhyme of revision
On the cusp
Between dying and being reborn
The dawn of new light
The fight of contraction and deep breathing
Of conviction and deep grieving
On the cusp
Between pain and promise
The rhyme of rain and conflagration
This is the time of expectation

This is the moment of madness
The low point of sadness
On the fringe
Between chaos and new order
The border of old crumbling ways
The maze of fear and deep division
Of hollow cheer and deep schism
On the fringe
Between lies and false prophets
The low point of political scoring
This is the moment of tribes warring

This is the song of soul searching
The long night of mind lurching
On the frontier
Between dogma and new paradigms
The bell chimes of dire warning
The yawning questions of deep reflection
Of poignant lessons for deep inflection
On the frontier
Between scouting and getting lost
The long night of struggling to cope
This is the song of faith and hope

Source

This poem is not yet in print. But you can find it online here. Other related poems are contained in the poetry collection Change the World: Poems for Positive Action.

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