This is the tale of how less became more
how the light went nearly out
through slick flicks
of the language switch
why attention pays
the highest divine shared ends
and why the more aimed for matters

I.

When Coulds are born
anything and everything
is possible
they come in as tiny bundles
of wondrous possibility
infinite potentiality
and wherever they come in
and whatever they encounter
fills their senses
forms their curiosities
shapes their perceptions

One thing is sure
they all come in caring
for life

As they grow
asking why-why-why
they are fed a steady diet of
“because” that gives much cause
but little reason
that is genuine
that connects their being
their cause
to the effects they will have
if they are not care
full
and so, bit by bit
the glowing wonders
of the world about them
become less luminous
become blunted
by that’s just how it is
get used to it
(used by it is
the part not
spoken aloud)
which isn’t just at all
until everything appears
faded
and ever more dull
blandly dutiful

and you may think no no
it is not so
I still
see the glow
feel the hard c
of connection
of care
            (if so
be sure to give thanks
            to your i-magi-nation
            and use it daily
if no, start looking for it)
go forth and observe
have a look around
have a listen
see and hear
how giving a care
humble and true
passionate and bright
is on the endangered list
even among those
who seem genuine
            (be sure to give thanks
            to your i-magi-nation
            and use it daily
or start looking for it)

There are so many things
so many people profess
not to care about
as if it really didn’t matter
that their vital selves
were being digitized
or true care were trivialized
and frightfully close
to extinction

So, one of many
many Coulds,
Could Care started off
well enough
once cared a lot
then bit by bit
ever more little
until one day came the switch
flick!
and care was turned off
all but completely

Then for some time
Couldn’t-Care-Less coasted along
invertedly “free”
not caring a whiff
going emotionally rigid
and then good gosh
the connector switch shorted
and so sad to tell
the ground opened up as well
concrete poured
down the hole
strong box walls went up
blocking out the sky
and so it came to pass that
Could Not became could
through a language trick
became a sort of could
in a way
you guessed it
which was not good for
Could-Care-Less spells it
out straight and simple:

Could-Care-Less
cared ever less and less
until no care seemed
left at all

This is how it goes
for too many Coulds
who are knocked about
early or later
by desperados
jaded family
social circumstance
and cumulative conditioning
that stretches ages and ages back

Too many eventually
or sooner snap
claiming nothing really matters
or means much
since truth has been bought
and paid for
by the illusory coin god
one of many dark entities
reigning by marauding trickery
who keep Coulds wedged
in tight corners
feeding them a host
of ever-changing flavours
of their supposed insufficiencies
which then
surprise!
manifest

In the last fifty years
Could-Care-Lesses led loopy
solipsistic lives
that cut to the quick
of ever so many vital matters
family, friends, and relations all
every living being
            snip!
thought, feeling, and action
                        snap!
why the very whole of creation
                                    passed-out!

Could-Care-Less
cast tender care adrift
without thought or feeling

untethered and unloved
care flew on the winds
            hither and yon
            however they blew
was buffeted on the seas
            however they heaved
and shuttled way out there
amid the galaxies
            however they spun and expanded

Way down there
in the artificial dark
Could-Care-Less partied to oblivion
with other could-care-lessers
ever more and more of them
and as you may well imagine
year by year
            month by month
                        week by week
                            and eventually day by day
                           hour by minute by nanosecond
the stakes got lower and lower
until they all subsisted
in unfathomable
            sub-liminal    no-thing-ness
a heartless repeat cycle
where they wafted about
            beside themselves
unable to reach out or account
for anything at all
for seeming eternity

This doom-rich cesspit
a no place, if they could find it
only those who truly
whole-heartedly care
could ever cast a sticky spark-ready
            filament into
tendril of true humanity
that could snag the faintest will
floating absently there
and slowly   slowly
            ever so slowly
            may be . . .
pull it back through twists
and turns towards its own
            pale abandoned light
its own feelings
and its potentiality
to do no harm
and act for truth and right

II.

Readers, Listeners
take a breath or many
and contemplate:

If it’s your care
that shapes the world
and existence far beyond
then how you are
makes all
of you and all else
there’s no sense in saying
“that is just how it is”
because your care
for yourself and others
can change much of that

when you act
from your genuine
generous centre
you are naturally
full of care
full of love and grace
a being in balance
does no harm
you are bold
you are true
you are free

when you are careful
you proceed with care
despite known risk
you discern when risks
need taking and when they don’t
but there is no such thing
as caring too much
that is just a line
used to defeat us into accepting
bad systems
of which there are so many
they can be lost sight of
amid their ubiquitous familiarity
systems that chew up our care
and spit it in our faces
or have us doing the chewing
ourselves
and spitting it at our kin

When you could
or couldn’t care less
you forgo your honour and integrity
that core part of yourself is stolen
or given away
many have been there
done that
obeyed the orders
allowed our nature
to be called flawed
as if part of us were
cold-blooded
as if that were a normal
human trait
and so our own doubt
is continuously conditioned
until we refuse to play along

We could
We can be care
full
consciousness expanding
reverential beings
if we so choose

So the moral of the story is
never steal another’s genuine
care                     nor give yours
            away
know with certainty
true care can never be too
full
You Are            You Be
             Cause
so it is
so it be that You
you every one
you and all
affect and effect
genuine loving Care
for one and all
so dare to do so

be bold
be true
be free

Could-Care-Less, a cautionary tale