Paradise

This looks just like paradise
Not a worry, day or night
Smiles, an endless supply
Never a dull moment in sight

This is however not my paradise
Too bright, too much ease
Any appetite, any size
To be satisfied, fed or teased

Stories, told to be heard
Come easy and freely all around
A smooth and open camaraderie
Formed and dissolved without a sound

Experiences, gift-wrapped and free
Designed to suit each mood and fancy
Forget adventure, it’s not easy
And it won’t have a guide called Nancy

The folks here seem to think it’s fine
To trade much money and some time
And gorge their bodies and their minds
To escape the realities of their lives

So that’s why this is not my paradise
Not a place where there is work and play
Where they match each other’s size
And both spell growth, at the end of the day

Because enough is too far too little
When there is no need for more
And our resolves will become brittle
If we feed an empty core

Measured

The world, our country
How big is one within the other
A house, a home
What a difference, one without the other

People and communities
Divided by their identities
Some given, others earned
Not the same, yet not so different

Locality and local
Together, united by space
Friends, friendly or unknown
It's all good until our covers are blown

Folks, family
Chosen or without a choice
Live and let live, learn patience
Or suffer our interdependence

You, me
Together, become only "we"
Bodys, minds
What size and what surprise

Hands, heart
They beat and they build
Action or intention
Alas, still a reaction

A cup, a drink
A vessel or a bridge
A message, a thirst
Growing deeper after the first

Chatter, a conversation
Sounds, words or ideas
Hard or soft, all imagined
Handicapped by imperfect listening

How big, how small
How wide, how tall
How much, how little
These truths, so fickle

How deep, how long
How weak, how strong
Measured, or just guessing
We are whole, and we are missing