A Reason for Everything

When I was a young man my friends and I would scratch our names on the bottoms of rocks and then throw them into the water. We would all dive in and attempt to find our own and be the first one to the surface. They all had to be approximately the same size and shape. Sometimes, in haste you would bring up someone else's stone and you would have to throw it back in and dive down again to find your own. We would do it until our longs burned. We never asked ourselves why we did it or what was the reason.

Is the nagging question the ultimate question?
What about all the what ifs and whys that trouble the surface.
Are we swimming desperately to keep from drowning?
What if we stopped our struggle,
would we find ourselves in waist deep water.

Is the answer written on the bottom of a rock tossed in,
when youth still paid dividends and we were buoyed up by confidence?
I held my breath and dove to the bottom over and over again,
breaking the surface with expelled breath,
defeating death one more time.

Questions that scare my soul,
questions that turn off my bedroom light
The smell of paraffin, kerosene, and electricity,
sparking and arcing, moments of bright
light that only flickers in the night.

What if there is a reason for everything?
Then it doesn’t matter what if or why.
I would no longer have a right to question
or complain about my decision
or the decision of others.

Have I held on to things so tightly,
that I have squeezed the life out of them?
If I released them would they run from me
and grow in another person’s garden?
What if the reason has it’s own season.

What if I dive to the bottom and bring back a rock
and the name written on the bottom is not mine?
Do I have a responsibility to toss it back in
because it is not mine but thine?
Surely, there is a reason for everything.

everything happens for a reason. Chaos is order and order is chaos. All is how it should be....

reply to post by Annunak1

It seems as I have gotten older the questions don't seem that important anymore. I feel a greater peace in knowing I don't have to answer all of life's great questions. I dove into the water because I was in the moment, I was present in that moment, it was life and I was living.

reply to post by grayeagle


Still trying to figure out the same things myself friend.
Here's to finding the answers that we require in the new year, and to leaving behind the answers we really dont want to know!

Peace, joy and health to you in this coming year Grayeagle
the journey continues for us all...

reply to post by grayeagle


Wow. That's really good my friend. Very deep and I enjoyed it a lot.
I believe everything happens for a reason, and sometimes the reasons aren't revealed till later.
Very thought provoking poem. Thanks for writing and sharing.
Peace to you friend ~~>>
-nat

Funny I was thinking something along these lines.. (not sure)

But I was feeling lost today.. not sure of my direction in life.. thinking - what is the meaning/purpose of life?.. feeling in limbo.. at a loss of what to do with myself. What is a worthy thing to do or pursue?

Then thinking about my life the last many years - I thought - I enjoyed life a lot more before I ever had these sort of thoughts. I just lived life and enjoyed it.

reply to post by grayeagle

To my friends who have responded, thank you! I truly appreciate you all taking the time to write. This year I am endeavoring to just live in the moment, each day and in every way I can. Maybe the answer to life's great questions is not as important as just doing the living. I want to tell people I love them more, I care about them and appreciate them more.
I currently live alone and have no soul mate so these connections here on ATS are so vital and nurturing.
Thank you! Love and peace to each of you.
Grayeagle

Hi greyeagle. I also enjoyed reading that. I'm sure there is a reason for everything. Sometimes i wonder why things are done. And sometimes I just never know the reason why. But maybe it's to change the course of our lives on a different path. You know what greyeagle, That's a great way to live, Love every moment and that soul mate will appear when you least expect her to ....

reply to post by TheDoctor46

Thanks Doc! If you lived a little closer I'd buy you a pint.

I am trying to look at 2014 as a grand new adventure with new opportunities to grow as an individual and becoming more connected with people and nature around me.