Life Between A and B

If life is a journey from A to B,
beginning to end, it occurs to me
that what’s in the middle is of little concern;
the goal is to move from stem to stern,
start to finish, womb to tomb,
all in between just takes up room.

A poem starts and a poem ends;
who cares what message the poem sends?
The words in between just get in the way;
perhaps they had meaning another day,
but the goal is to start with an eye to the end;
get there the quickest…Voila! You’ve win.

When the first note is struck, sing the song;
belt it out, move along.
You can ponder the message another day,
don’t let a feeling get in the way.
The same for a novel, an essay, op-eds;
no one remembers or cares what was said.
Content should never be on your mind;
the goal is to leave all others behind.
“I’ve read 14 books in this single day;
can’t remember what they had to say.
Doesn’t matter, anyway.
Meaning and message just get in the way.
It matters not how you think or feel:
adventure’s allure or meaning’s appeal;
what matters is that you’ve reached the end,
forget the meaning the story sends.

So, if these examples apply to you,
if there’s a chance they really do,
then I’m glad to announce, to publically say
we are fools to live this distorted way.
All things begin and all things end,
it’s what’s in the middle, the meaning each sends
that enriches, informs, touches the heart,
so consider this before you start:
Read with your heart, not just your mind,
feel the power of each wonderful line;
don’t rush through life like a race to run;
don’t miss the joy, the simple fun
of being alive, the taste of sweet wine,
love’s embrace, how it feels to be kind.
For in between the start and the end
is the fertile soil where life begins.

Pity the man who has lost his heart,
even before the symphony starts,
who considers that when the music begins
his goal is merely to get to the end.
What a way to live! To die!
Never to touch the feelings inside.