If I had the power of prophecy,
Would I fear the course of my life?
If I were filled with the waves of sadness,
Would my spirit succumb to feelings of despair?
If I knew the power of just saying “no”,
Would it erase the lines that furrow my brow.
If my questions had no plausible answers,
Would I flee the field of life in a rout?
If I knew the hour of my death,
Would I accept the idea like a boy scout?
If I knew a decision wrong, but emotion says its right,
Would I follow my gut instinct to solve my plight?
If I knew my life to be nothing more than a dream,
Would I wish to awaken to the truth of a harsh reality?
If I knew my selfish interests didn’t matter,
Would I allow their mirror of delight to shatter?
If I had nothing to gain and everything to lose,
Would I search for alternative ways to improve?
If I had nothing to lose and everything to gain
Would I remain forever the same?
If I knew that my actions would be criticized,
Would I shrink from the thought as if compromised?
If I knew the next breath would be my last,
Would I just breathe in resignation and simply gasp?
If I knew for a (scientific) fact there was a God,
Would my longing for life’s pleasures finally implode?
Think of the options presented to us in our lives,
Some of them hurtful, some of them helpful and wise.
Second conditionals have a way of setting the pace,
Raising tantalizing impossibilities for the human race.
If you were on the open sea, waiting to land on shore,
Would you gaze within the ocean deep hoping for more?
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Reviews of "Second Conditionals"
Reviewed by Leydi Cundumi (Reader)
Reviewed on November 23, 2024
This poem is so profound that it awakens in me the desire to know what happens to those people who flee the field of life just because they do not receive the answers they expect, in which they want everything to be done as and when they want, ignoring that life has its own rhythm, that there is a reality from which we cannot escape.
In our hands is the power to choose (black or white, right or left). In addition, the poem includes a certain irony since it talks about how life is a dream and that when many realize this, they try to wake up by ending it, hoping to open their eyes in a better place.
Wow. This is a great poem. You have raised a lot of questions for me to ponder. We always have regrets and 20/20 hindsight, but given the opportunity with our new information, what would we do? If we knew the answers to our questions, why exist at all? Corrine
Through this clever write, I can see the unpredictability of life. There really is no such thing as control. Anything can happen, any moment to change the course of our existence. Perhaps, that is why we are urged to value the now and count our blessings. Also, courageous risks are the spice of life!
the put above conditional questions are to emphasize the difference between being in and out. This is how our internal vision plays with us, heaping the third/fourth conditionals on the second ones. However, the 3D reality is still the same as long as we have got the conditional vision. Enjoyed reading this piece. Cheers, alex
In hindsight, if we could choose the alternative for just one "what if" it probably would have made a profound difference in our lives. We can only speculate and move forward along paths mapped out by the options we chose at the time.
Life is full of conditions we have no control over. Thinking a lot of, "what ifs," could, eventually, probably drive a man crazy. Not you, of course, but some people who can't write their way out of it.
Many, many reasons to sit and ponder heavily on each and every look into the future you have given us. Eh . . . Even though we are will never have the future as laid out to us as this poem suggests, I guess we will just muddle along as we are. Even so, there are some of those "If I Knew" questions we can actually reason out for our own self without being giving the look into the future if we but use our brain and think.
This is a book of free verse poetry that addresses the seven main tests in life and offers some sensible solutions to passing those tests with minimal discomfort.
Each person is but a grain of sand resting beside the sea. This thought sets the tone for Jill Eisnaugle’s latest poetry collection, Beside Still Waters.
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In our hands is the power to choose (black or white, right or left). In addition, the poem includes a certain irony since it talks about how life is a dream and that when many realize this, they try to wake up by ending it, hoping to open their eyes in a better place.
If I knew my life to be nothing more than a dream,
Would I wish to awaken to the truth of a harsh reality? Wow!!!
If I knew the answers to half these questions, would I live my life differently? Thanks so much for this wonderful poetic gem. Jimmy Holder
Wishing you an abundance of creativity!
With respect and smiles,
Carol
poignant work filled with much grist for thought
never stop writing!
m
hug
Kathy
Love ya!
Jane
Ron