let life be kind

Photo by Plato Terentev on Pexels

life is as kind as you let it be 
often we make things 
more difficult for ourselves 
we get in our own way 
we are unkind to other people 
because we think they will be 
unkind to us…
we leave other people because 
we think they will leave us… 
we refuse to rest 
we refuse to take time 
we fail to see the simple good, 
the blessings we’ve been given…
we ignore joy in order to confront 
the world for the ways in which 
we think we’ve been robbed…
every day it’s like I walk around 
thinking I’ve lost some infinite thing, 
not realizing that it’s my perspective 
that needs to be adjusted…
“life’s as kind as you let it be” 
I had to pause myself and ponder 
what that could actually mean…
and maybe I’ve misunderstood 
some kind of deep irony in it — 
but when I try to find the sincerity 
in my heart, when I try to pull back 
a little on the constant pursuit, 
the endless desire that plagues my life — 
this quest that never seems to be met 
with an appropriate or satisfying result — 
I think, hey, things are pretty good — 
I am pretty good, as I am, and though 
I have more road to travel, I can reflect 
a little bit on how I can better let life 
be kind to me in its own unique way

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Garbage Notes:

This poem is about getting in your own way. There are many conflicts in life, but sometimes we can be our own worst enemy.

The line that inspired this poem was: “Life’s as kind as you let it be.” It was written by Charles Bukowski in his short story collection, Hot Water Music.

I know I tend to be guilty of this myself. I will reject people before they reject me. Or I’ll anticipate some injustice before it’s even happened. I’ll walk away from things without really giving them a chance.

But at some point you have to be able to notice when things are good for you. Or when people out there are actually trying to help. There are many kind and patient individuals who are willing to go out of their way. Sometimes we ignore them. Or we see their help as an act of pity.

Other ways in which we hurt ourselves: refusing to rest, refusing to take time when we need it, or refusing to see the simple good that exist all around us.

There are so many instances in my life where I’ve made things more difficult simply because I was unable to see the generosity in other people’s hearts. Or I had mistaken beneficial challenges as unfair adversity.

You can rage all you want. You can be an asshole and act like you’ve lost something before you even started. But that chip on your shoulder won’t go away on its own. You have to choose to brush it off yourself.

You have to be your own best friend. Not another closed-minded adversary.

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Franco Amati 2024

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