Humor and Philosophy From People I Made Up
This is about things/That I wanted to say/
I believe it comes from ideas/In my mind/That I just/Want to replay/
And writing the thoughts down for me/I feel/Is the best way/
So let’s start/And get on with the play/
There was a man named Lee/That I really wanted to see/
They said he was a philosopher/To the highest degree/
And somehow that struck/A cord in me/
Because that is what I thought/That I wanted to be/
I wanted to see if he could give me ideas/That I would agree/
Or would he say nothing/And I would flee/Or poetically/Cop-the plea/
Tell me three words of wisdom I asked/That would be his very first task/He said/
“We can only recognize and find in another/What we already believe…About our self”/
“When you make what is UNTRUE…VISIBLE/What is TRUE will become…INVISIBLE”/
Wow/Those words to me/Sounded quite new/
I didn’t mean to quiz him/But I asked for just/One more word of wisdom/
He said how about a Zen quote/I said/To me/It will probably sound remote/
He replied “A donkey carrying a set of holy books…Is still a donkey”/
I thought that is really amazing/And absolutely funky/
I felt I made some mental gain/I said so what’s next/He told me to find…Lady Jane/
I searched and searched in the snow/
Sleet and rain/And at last I finally found…Lady Jane/
Jane was very plain/And seemed to be…Quite sane/
I asked her how can I get out of feeling/My life is in pain/
She said “Your mind has two tracks…You have been boarding the wrong train/
I asked of the two trains/Which one should I be on…Which is in the right lane/
She answered my question…With a question/I was surprised/I will make that confession/
“Would you rather have peace of mind/Or give someone…A piece of your mind”/
The answer was simple/I didn’t have to find…PEACE OF MIND…Because that is…More kind/
She said that is always the answer/And when you feel amiss/
Say to yourself/”I could CHOOSE PEACE…Instead of this”/
She said now that your calm/She directed me to her close friend/Named Tom/
Tom looked like a holy figure from the Bible/
I thought/Was he in the Psalms/
I asked Tom where he is from/He said he grew up on a farm…In remote/Oregon/
He had a lot of charm/But I wanted to ask him a question/But I didn’t want to alarm/
Who am I…And what am I doing here I asked/As he said/Let me see your palm/
He looked deep into my eyes/And asked if I am willing to hear the answer from above/
I said yes/As I moved my negative thoughts away…With a shove/
The answer Yesterday/Today and Forever will always be the same/
You are Unchanged/Unchanging/And Unchangeable/You are/And will always be…Only love/
That is the answer…From above/I said that doesn’t seem real/That is not how/I usually feel/
He said before you retreat into fear/Go here/And meet my friend Claire/
I listened to him/And wondered/Is she also…A Seer/
As I got near/I felt Claire was light/And a sweet-sweet dear/
I said Claire/I made it here/As she was smiling and gently…Eating a prickly pear/
I’m going to tell you some jokes she said/Because you look too serious/
I said I felt worse before/And I have even been declared…Hallucina-tory Delirious/
And must of my life/I haven’t felt glorious/
But tell me your joke/As my mind continues to float/On a rocking and slowly/Sinking boat/
She said/”The doctor calls Mrs. Brown and says Mrs. Brown your check came back/
“And Mrs. Brown replays…So did my arthritis doctor”/
That’s sort of funny/And made me a bit more sunny/Can you tell me another/Claire honey/
Goliath’s father said “Son, every time you hang out with that David kid/When you come home/
It looks like you just got stoned”/I said that wasn’t to bad/It was biblically laced/
She said now it is time/For you to see my pal Chase/So do a quick and abrupt…About face/
There was Chase/He didn’t look great/It seemed like/He just got maced/
I said do you know the answer to life/Are you the ace/
He said maybe so/But one thing you should know/I am homeless and displaced/
But I was told to come to you/Hopefully to find grace/
So you want to know the answer for/The human race/I said yes/But go slow/At your own pace/
I have an answer with no explanation/And it is the same for everyone…In creation/
Without sounding to religious/This is something you will have to mediate on/
For days/months/years or a lifetime/And the two words I say/Will have no rhyme/
Are you ready/Do you feel steady/I said go ahead Chase/I am ready to embrace/
He said “GOD IS”/It sounded like nothing/But I think it was quite big/
So I asked/”Should I sit under a tree now…And just eat figs”/
He said No/”The last person you need to see/To wake up from this dream/Is the beautiful Pauline”/
Pauline/Pauline/Pauline/Is she the person for life’s answers/I could finally glean/
As soon as I saw Pauline/I knew she was a higher being/
Who had deep insight/Through inner seeing/I said Pauline…”You look so clean”/
And she looked at me/And I was hit/With a loving beam/
All the answers I was looking for/I already had…It seemed/
“Behind your dark mind/That is murderous and mean/Is your right mind/
Which will rise to the top/You are the cream of the crop/And you are one/
With the creator supreme/As we will all awaking from this…Meaningless dream/
And find we aren’t different/But all on…The same team/”
“So is this life in a body/Dying and being reborn…Over and over/
And having no memory/In complete amnesia/Is it really just a dream/
She said it may not be right now/But very soon we will all awaken/
And joined in union together/And our goodness and kindness…Will all be redeemed/”
“Saints and sinners/Losers and winners/Old souls and beginners/
We are on a journey without distance/The heaven we are going to/We’ve never left/
The starting point and the ending point/Is exactly the same/
So don’t take anything to serious/In this hellish game/And be of good cheer/
The love peace and joy that you are searching for/Is actually right now here/
But if you have trouble believing that/Then think…That is quite near/”
And now as I say goodbye/To the friends I made up/
I hope to see you again/Whether in thought or prayer/
Are wherever or whenever…You decide to appear/
And without any fear/For right now/I say good night/My sweet-sweet dear/
And allow the happiness inside you/Once again…To just… Simply…Re-appear//
Marvin Rolnick