John was a firm believer that talking the talk was more about ego than a belief system. Walking the walk was the process of moving knowledge into understanding. However, he knew it wasn’t easy. If it were, we wouldn’t have so much hate and division in the world being spurred on by egos. This poem reveals John’s humor about his journey toward awareness of his own spirituality. He also understood that the process is lifelong. Your successes can excite your ego, but it’s a short-lived success if your ego takes over and your journey stalls.
| Walking the Walk Walking backwards I thought was real keen, browsing through what I'd already seen. The downside was, if there was a pit, I again fell headlong into it! But I got tired of always being bound by the past, by what I'd already found. Walking sideways caught everybody's eye. They always said, "Now, there's a careful guy!" But, inching along at such a slow rate, the downside was, I was usually late. And I got tired of being left behind, and began to look for a way to shine! Walking tall always seemed to be the best, facing the challenge, testing the test, rattling the cymbal, banging the gong. The downside was: noise died, I was gone. I found myself without a clue Not knowing where to go or what to do. Then from within, a voice said to me, "Stop trying to do. Let go. Just be." The pain of becoming is now my plight. The downside is: I know the voice is right. I try hard to walk the walk and just be, But somehow, it keeps on eluding me. I remember what happened before: ups and downs by the score; But my fears of the unknown creep in, and oops! I'm walking backward again. Written by John Dean Williamsen [1934-2020] |
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