What If? Poem by alex haywood

What if our only purpose in life
among all that we do
is to utter one word or
do one deed
in one interaction
in one lifetime
to teach
one soul
one thing
Among all that they see in one lifetime
What if?

Or what if
every little thing
that ever happens to us
every mise-en-scene
every interaction
every gesture
every article read
every word seen
what if all the things we say
and everything we did
every gesture every thought
effected everybody it touched
mind and soul

How would I feel then?
How would I behave?

How can I
not tip the bartender
yell at my son
beat my wife
abuse a cat
or pluck a flower?
How can anyone
rape a woman
kill a child
bomb a building
start a war
or lie to us all?

But the perfection
to do nothing
by doing everything
is missing
so we pluck rape and kill
but also
kiss, comfort and love
and go on living
some aware, most not at all.