I’m Talking about the Space. after Viktor Frankl by Julie Carter
In the Midas glow of a warm September dawn
which must be soaked-up despite the risk of turning metal,
between the out-there and in-here, the me, the it, the you,
between the finger and the button, the hand and the fist,
between the lips and the kiss there is a space
haunted by the ghost of freedom.
I thought there was only one inhabitant of this space
but upon inquiring found she goes by several names;
Agency, Amina, Mind, Will, Free-will, Self, Herself.
Ego was a playground nickname which she never adopted.
Personality, Identity, Character are corporate corruptions
since she is a hydra-headed soul that feeds on flesh and truth.
Since only VIPs have so many designations
being so high-status she could make use of more space
because pressing on the walls is a painful way to think.
Yes – I’ll build an extension just for her expansion.
This intention, I can tell you, is in my body and sinew,
it’s molecular, it’s atomic, it’s like the big-bang.
There are lots of different choices in this life… by Bella (Year 7, LGGS)
There are lots of different choices in this life. Some are easy, like what ice cream you want. Some are hard and they always leave you wishing you had done the other thing, no matter what you do.
I don’t know why.
Sometimes, I lie in bed at night, wondering why I made the wrong choice 3 years ago.
Wondering why they haven’t talked to me since then.
Sometimes I lie in bed at night, wondering if I picked the wrong school, if I picked the wrong thing to say on that first day of school.
We are controlled by our choices.
They swirl inside of us, make us feel happy when we make the right choice, make us overthink and stress when we make the wrong choice.
We just need to learn how to leave those choices in the past, forget about them.
But that’s like forgetting our name, these choices are woven inside of us. They’re apart of us.
We can’t forget them.
The Burden of Choice by Mary Hodges
God gave us Free Will.
So we are told.
Choice is a heavy burden:
Picking and choosing,
Betting and losing,
Trying and crying,
Living and dying.
Choosing is hard.
Losing is harder.
The right choice
Does not come easy.
How nice might be
To live free
From the need to choose.
We think that we are free to choose
As we travel along life’s byways,
Not realising that fate’s already mapped
Our route through all it’s highways
Now fate is such a clever chap
Lets us think we’re free to choose,
Whilst all the while he knows full well
What is the path we’ll use.
As soon as life is born in us
Our future has no debate,
For all our so called choices
Are preordained by fate.
Don’t try to out think fate dear friend
For he never will be beat,
And even when you think you’ve won
It is you who’s in retreat.
Choice is not it’s all cracked up to be
How can you possibly know what’s right,
It’s only after an event has passed
The correct choice comes to light.
So just sit back, enjoy life’s ride
Approach each junction and each bend,
No need to choose which way to go
Fate’s made his choice my friend.
Relax, unwind, look at the view
As unburdened you venture on,
Let fate do what he needs to do
Then you’ll both get along.
