The In Between

I am standing on the edge of a chasm

The bottom, I cannot see.

I cannot retrace my steps,

To leap could be death,

To stay could be intolerable.

When a hurricane blow through

For an instant, there is respite,

A brief interlude in the chaos.

Uncertainty is certain,

But for a moment,

Stillness

A blue sky.

When the song ends

The next song is on your playlist,

But you do not know which it is.

It could be a forgotten favorite

Or a bittersweet memory.

So for a second it is quiet,

Anticipation of the next emotion.

So easily can the course be altered

By a step or a leap

One way or another.

But what if I stay?

Is it possible to simply remain?

Must I always be in motion?

For a moment may I stand

Unsure, uncertain of my next step?

Which way do I go?

How fast do I move forward?

Can I move back?

It is a game of chess

The next move is projected

But nothing is set;

Each action is a reaction,

A response to a situation presented.

Is there even free will?

I think not.

For if will was truly free,

There would be no influence on the action.

Rather, we have will

Manipulated and guided by circumstance.

Do we perceive this?

Rarely not.

So the facade remains,

And we believe we have control.

But can one control that which is already in motion?

A ball rolling down a hill does not stop

Its path is not changed.

Rather, it accelerates

Along the track already chosen

Guided by gravity.

Is my life the same?

Am I but a ball

Rolling towards an inevitable stop,

Propelled by that which I cannot control?

So why do I worry,

If I am but a sailing ship

Winds billowing my sails

At the mercy of whatever gale catches.

Perhaps we should embrace the in between,

For it is a moment of certainty

On the precipice of upheaval.

Possibly the dark before a new sunrise,

Or the red sky that precursors the storm.

In fact, it may be the sunset

A beautiful end, yet a joyous beginning

An intermission

A season of rest

The last flames quenched by a silent night.

There is a dichotomy to the in between

The tension of unknowing

The allure of tranquility

Perhaps I don’t truly understand it

Maybe it is not to be understood.

The in between just is,

Resignation to whatever happens

Being at peace with not having control

Holding on to the present moment before change comes

And that is okay.