November’s Poem of the Month is not a new one of mine, but one I wrote in 2002! I believe it is quite appropriate for this time… this year… this month… especially! It reminds the reader that, like it or not, we are all in this life together!

Human beings are social beings! We need each other in order to thrive… not only to thrive, but our very survival depends on all of us figuring out how to work together!

It’s not “us and them.” It is just simply us! U.S. (U.S. of A.)

My hope is that this poem, “Separateness Is An Illusion,” will serve, as a reminder, to guide our thinking towards unity and away from divisiveness… not only in our country, but all around the world!

As the last line of the poem states, “Love is the cure.”

And remember, Whatever the question, love is (always) the answer!

SEPARATENESS IS AN ILLUSION

Mankind suffers an illness
Of the illusion of separateness.
We believe the world is made up
Of discrete things which don’t coalesce.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
We are one interconnected whole
In the natural order of things.
It’s as if we have but one soul.
We are a part of the natural order
And it’s laws are our laws, too.
We are an endless moving stream
In a stream that is endless and true.
All distinctions are falsely imagined.
Separateness is sickness, to be sure.
We are the eternal mind of the universe,
And Love is the cure.

So here we are in October… just a few short days until the election. Accountability is the subject of this month’s poem, as it relates to the upcoming election. However, the need for accountability is everywhere; on every level, at every age and, of course, it begins at home.”

Other descriptions of accountability are: “walking your talk,” “keeping your promise,” “being mindful of what you say,” “following through” — “being reliable.”  I read something the other day that fits in this discussion: “Be accountable for your feelings and actions, because you chose to have them.”

And what must follow from being accountable (or not) is this gem: “When you choose your behavior, you choose your consequences.”  Taking ownership of one’s thoughts and actions almost automatically makes one accountable.

Whether running a household, a corporation or a national government, accountability is the major basic requirement!

Be accountable, and be sure to vote in the upcoming election. Vote early, if possible, and vote wisely.

Always remember, whatever the question, love is the answer.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Accountability is the measure of a leader’s height.
A leader who is accountable will do things right:
Calling leaders to be responsible before placing blame,
And to realize leading others is not just a game.

Conscience binds and accountability liberates…
Failure to follow through will negatively translate.
Opinion is the lowest form of human knowledge…
Fact-finding and truth-telling will give you an edge.

Unless you’re dead, you can keep your promises;
It’s easier if you can examine your old prejudices.
Never promise more than you can perform.
Always strive higher — much higher than the norm.

The price of greatness is responsibility,
Which gives your actions a strong sense of credibility.
A leader must be accountable to his nation’s laws.
Decisions cannot be made by “drawing straws.”

Being reliable is the basis of accountability.
“Walking your talk” illustrates your dependability.
It’s always the right time to do things right.
Your actions can be trusted. They are honest and forthright.

Life is better when people keep their word.
When they don’t, the meaning of their words becomes blurred.
I strive to be accountable for my thoughts, words and actions.
Being less than honest will spoil all interactions.

The only thing in your way is you.
So check your motives, and push your way through.
You are the reason for your success or failure.
Accountability is what good citizens prefer.

Choices… we make them every day… sometimes many times a day!

They may range in “size” from very small to sometimes very large. Some of them we make automatically… like taking the next step, or reaching for a glass in the cupboard. And some of them — like deciding what you want to do with your life… or deciding on a life mate… or sorting out your beliefs — can feel insurmountable!

Of course, the simple choices (the ones in the middle) might include what to eat for dinner or what to wear when you get dressed in the morning.

We, in America, are guaranteed Freedom of Choice — at this time in history, we have more choice than any group of people ever has had before, and thus, more freedom and autonomy.

The poem “You Live And You Die By The Choices You Make” is an observation of mine of a few years back… a recognition that what had happened to me in my life was a direct result of the choices I had made. I spoke with friends and family about the subject, and learned that they, too, saw the connections between the choices they had made and the results which had formed their lives.

So, I share my poem for the September 2020 Poem Of The Month, in the hopes it will resonate with you during these interesting times. Currently, we are faced with many choices that are not in the category of “automatic” or “simple.” They may be life-threatening or life-saving. The choices are up to us! And, as the line in the poem urges, we must “Make sure they’re based on love, not fear.

Whatever the question, love is the answer.

YOU LIVE AND DIE BY THE CHOICES YOU MAKE

Your life is the sum total of the choices you make.
You choose the directions that your life will take.
You decide what you want, you hold the wheel,
So steer your course and your life will reveal
The results of your choices. It’s always your move.
As it unfolds, you look to improve.

It’s your choices that show what you really are —
More than your abilities — oh man, by far!
You are solely responsible for the actions you choose.
You must accept the consequences and risk the blues.
In deeds, words, and thoughts throughout your lifetime;
Your awareness to detail must work all the time.

Mankind’s greatest gift, or course, if you will
Is that we have free choice, and it takes skill
To determine the motive for the choices as they appear —
Make sure they’re based on love, not fear.
Sometimes it’s only a choice of attitude,
And sometimes it results in gratitude.

The key to your universe? Your ability to choose!
It’s very important and nothing to abuse.
Only by exercising your choosing right
Can you exercise the ability to change your plight.
And accidental choices are as important (yours and mine)
As the careful choices you make by design.

Other people’s choices are nothing more
Than another alternative for you to explore.
You may make a thousand little choices each day.
All of them count as you walk your pathway.
Some of your choices may cause you strife…
Manage your choices and you’ll manage your life.

The end result of your life on this planet
Will be the sum total of your choices. You plan it.
Freedom comes to you when that power you keep —
The power to choose. You sow and you reap.
Make good decisions and in them rejoice.
There’s no life as complete as the life lived by choice.