You say if I’m troubled, do not be.
And if I’m not, I should be.

What then shall I say to these things?

Consider a tunnel that leads to paradise
its only entry hidden
at the bottom of a reservoir
nestled low in a desert valley.
The man who stays at mountaintop
may enjoy his lofty stance
but will never find paradise,
and never glimpse the entry
that lies below.

The man who sinks to the reservoir’s bottom
if he only opens his eyes will see
that he need not stay there long
and need never return again,
if he would only have courage to hold
his breath and swim through.

The admonishment is not circular.
It’s the only one-way to life.

© Tanner Rinke 2015