Pull in the extremities

Ratchet down the opinions

Let the other person roll and rant

Keep your cool inside the tent

The obvious mistakes may offend you -

Let them pass.

The prejudice and judgment may be repulsive -

Let them go.

Argue your own view

See it clear

Convince yourself

Inside and out

After that, talk is easy -

Comes from commitment

Which is hard to earn -

It inhabits truth

The hardest thing to learn.

You cannot survive with your full potential joy

Unless you find your clear version of truth

And let it inhabit you fully -

Both body and mind.

Each of us, with our own subtle differences

Desire love, companionship, health, respect

And all of the side dishes

To a life well-lived.

But the form we take

Can go astray,

Finding nothing,

No matter how intensely we seek.

At that point

The goal is changed -

And we learn to accept

What we once thought was not possible.