The Divers

A couple of weeks ago I attended the funeral for my Aunt, who was the last of all my Aunts and Uncles, and it seemed like a chapter was closing. My own mortality seemed a little too close for comfort. For those of us who have finished our era of child raising, time seems to have passed alarmingly quickly. Although this can certainly be quite depressing, it also helps us to understand the importance of enjoying the present journey…not fretting about what we did or didn’t do in the past, and not being consumed with worry over what might lie ahead. My Aunt was exemplary in demonstrating the development of talents and sharing them with others. Bit by bit, she influenced many in a positive way. Her poetry has been a catalyst to me with my own writing, and especially this poem:

The would-be divers slowly climb the steps to the top
The platform
High and intimidating, bids them “Stop!”
And yet, their feet drive to the brink
And off they go,
No time to think!

We watch below and shake our heads.
This, we will never do, we said.
Unaware that we are in the line
Pressing forward all the time.

The oldest ones have gone before
One by one,
Now in our past.
Occasionally a youthful soul
Pushed through the line.
We watched, aghast.

Our steps for now are slow and gay.
We take our time.
We sing and play,
Unaware that our steady steps
Lead us higher every day,
Until, at last, we reach the top.

How the decades fled!
We are now atop.
Some feel peace, and some feel dread.
All surprised
How short the time
From bottom to the top,
A few short years, just a lifetime,
So much shorter than we thought.

Our time will come when toes grip the rim.
Our teeth and hands are clenched,
And we are shoved or nudged,
First flying, and then drenched.

Be assured, our time is coming.
Ignore the pace…the distant drumming,
Be with those who now surround us,
Else we miss the purpose of the climb.

Only as we enjoy the journey,
Will the diving be sublime!

This link is http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/feature-films/2016-10-0002-mans-search-for-happiness-1986?lang=eng a remake of my favorite short video when I was a child. I deals very effectively with the issue of “time”.