The Vicissitudes of Man (10.10.12)

“The vicissitudes of man fall upon his wanderings,

                                         fall upon his walk to nowhere,

                 cascade upon his head as he moves in and out from thunderstorms which concentrate on drenching.

The vicissitudes of man bring a soaking in the sunlight,

                                       witness a soaking in the hailstones,

                                       bring the sound of running feet,

                                       hear the sound of an attempt to hurry,

                                       hearken to the sound of tripping.

The vicissitudes of man result from the actions brought on by the foe of man:

                                                      when man walks in carelessness;

                                                      when man walks in his own wisdom of the day;

                                                      when man makes do and does not seek the best;

                                                      when man twists and twirls within his seeking of a goal;

                                                      when man hurries to a conclusion which has not had time to hatch without deformity;

                                                      when man encircles in a pragmatic hunt ending in repulsion of the spirit.

The vicissitudes of man are a trial unto themselves made more difficult by the volunteers who do not offer helping hands:

                                       are a trial of strength –

                                                              measuring commitment to a selected course of action;

                                       are a trial of perseverance –

                                                                      determining the strength of will;

                                       are a trial of love –

                                                                      assessing the contents of a heart;

                                       are a trial of righteousness –

                                                                      testing the prospects for temptation;

                                       are a trial of protection –

                                                                      experimenting with the possibility of a cloak which may hide a dagger.

The vicissitudes of man witness a topsy-turvy life filled with change for the sake of change;

                                       witness a life where certainty is unknown;

                                       witness a life beyond the pale;

                                       witness the soul without restraint;

                                       witness the effects of circumstance;

                                       witness the absence of respected counsel.

The vicissitudes of man experience the wiles of invitation from factors within the darkness:

                                       experience the destinations plotted step by step prior to a step down;

                                       experience the disappointments hurled in quick succession;

                                       experience the failures of the certainties which never bring the sought rewards,

                                       experience the frustration at the unexpected outcomes,

                                       experience the shadowing of man in the presence of decay with the absence of the sunlight.

The vicissitudes of man vary in intensity,

                                       vary in the depth of feelings,

                                       vary in the strength of the emotions:

                                       vary until the hook is set in both the flesh and soul of man,

                                       vary until the idols are embedded in the yearnings of man,

                                       vary until the walk of man follows his search for the idol now held within his heart.

The vicissitudes of man can reach a break point of despair,

                                                       a break point filled with loneliness,

                                                       a break point of rejection,

                                                       a break point of finality,

                                                       a break point for the spirit in a last-ditch effort to escape the closing trap.

The vicissitudes of man can resurface from the depths,

                                       can reclaim what has been taken,

                                       can reckon on a better way of life,

                                       can expect what would be the unimaginable when in a fit of exhaustion,

                                       can repair the damage of the foe,

                                       can escape the onslaught of the foe,

                                       can repulse the headway of the foe.

The vicissitudes of man can be pruned and bent within the will of man:

                                                                             as new directions are planned;

                                                                             for the reaching of a goal befitting man;

                                                                             for the rekindling of the fire destined to be in man;

                                                                             from the heartache arising from the missing of great love;

                                                                             for the knowing of the onset of amazing grace.”