Into the Breach

It is coming to me even if I hesitate moving toward it.

The new semester advances on legs of thunder and inevitability. Like an approaching storm front or a hungry dinosaur, it will arrive soon whether I am prepared or not.

Time to gird the loins, pack the book bag, load my lessons, hoist the clip-board, and tighten the straps on my sandals. The unwashed hoards of the hungry and semi-literate are storming the gates of my castle of calm, privacy, reflection, unstructured time, and will soon shatter the luxury of living with my own thoughts. The world doesn't care about my interior life, which, to me, is more real than this work life.

So pick up your pen, reluctant warrior, and stand up. It's time to head to the trenches to earn your keep, your livelihood. What you want matters less right now than what you have agreed to do for The Man. Yes, you want time to stop, right here; you want to reside in this magic moment of being left alone, of the peace between things. Only you can know its secret life. It is your curse and your gift and is the key to the thrumming pulse of the Universe. Yes, you feel it will kill you to leave it, but you have no choice. Your love is strong and takes no prisoners, but you are chained to passing time and the labors that come with that. The Man runs this show. He is the one who holds the cards, the power, the ways of doing things. Until you buy your freedom, you are beholden to Him.

The current of time has me in its grip and I am swept to the falls.

As I enter the final flow, I take a breath, and swear allegiance to my beloved peace, joy, and happiness.

To the fray! To the fray!

If I live to tell the tale, I will once again resume this account dear readers.

If not, well, it has been a pleasure. Thanks for listening.