Rejection’s Permafrost
by Odin Roark

How frigid the aftermath of rejection,
that seemingly permanent casting of doubt,
where self-respect is given but an icy nod.

Yet…

To thrust one’s adventuresome risk,
knowing not its final resting place,
is to stick one’s finger into the eye of defeat,
trusting self-knowledge is all that matters.

Such starts way back…

Remember the recess bell,
the playground of early control,
that bullying strut of him, or her insecurity,
determined to stunt your growing up,
banging hard the elementary socio-political drum,
that ooze we seldom see
working its way into maturity’s reason.

Then…

Without knowing many answers,
one is thrust into the primary phase of rejection,
that period when love and career clash,
when one opts for supreme dominance of the other,
when male and female, male and male, female and female,
have to face traditional, contemporary, and future negation,
not really knowing the prize.

Yet, so urbanized are we…

We give little attention to Nature,
the quintessential teacher of survival.

Even among the endangered species,
even atop the remains of icebergs,
even further above the weathering clouds of climate survival,
there exists a wisdom we’ve not yet grasped:
that the coldest of life’s rebuffs,
is but knowledge-in-waiting,
survival’s unique way of teaching
we’ve not yet embraced,
that glaciate of history staying alive,
the illusive permafrost of knowledge.

Lessons…

That which is buried beneath passion’s oops,
that cryonic freeze forever a back-up to longevity,
the understanding through disappointment,
that is what life’s seasons experience.

When fall succumbs,
as winter ushers in its cold reserve,
when spring informs winter,
it’s time to rejuvenate,
when summer proudly proclaims,
schools out, vacation time is here,
forgiving the past seasons,
as the ubra existence comes together,
not necessarily knowing this year’s
weathering emotions but lurk for the next,
and the next,
and the next…

Yes…

One may reject the cliché,
but what goes around,
especially with emotions,
definitely comes around…

And…

It’s all good,
if your willing to learn.