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Alternative Wisdom
There are two kinds of wisdom to achieve,-
Conventional Wisdom and Alternative.
Conventional wisdom does entail
That pragmatism’s rules and laws prevail,
It must be versatile, have pliant skin,
Be sharp in politics, and know to spin.
It looks askance at startlers and surprise,
Because it is experienced and wise.
No more astonishment, for all convene
That herbal teas are good for heart and spleen.
It has all answers, yeah,- does knows it all,
Its files and records are conventional.
It hoards accumulated expertise,
And counsels for renewal of the lease.
The wisdom that is called "Alternative"
Does never urge and pressure to achieve,
Accepts the frailties of humanity,
And uses terse and pithy Irony.
It has keen sense of humor and sharp wit,
Disturbs some tribes and clans too closely knit,
Is lucid, crisp and snappy, curt and spruce,
With Irony, but always speaks the Truth.
Most exegetes firmly do believe
That Jesus taught in mode Alternative,
Koan-like shocker words, parabolic
Still make the baffled scholars twitch and tic.
.
But read the Book of “Proverbs” and you see
Its gist is pure -conventionality:
The good get rich, are fruitful and secure;
The ill-behaved all barren, sick and poor.
Life teaches that this is by means not so,
It deals no automatic Quid Pro Quo.
Convention‘s wisdom who can really trust ?
It hung around so long and gathered must.
At transformation of perception aims,
Wisdom Alternative and will not rest
Until it supersedes some Culture's claims
Of the Conventional Wisdom's Hornets Nest.
Wisdom Alternative asks eye and mind
To see things differently than before,
It finds Conventional wisdom dim and blind
For it gets light from the eternal shore.
While it subverts the social norms and bounds,
Conventional wisdom wishes to create
It leaves the well accumstomed norms and ground
To lead into the Narrow Way and Gate.
To say these things, I know is brash and bold-
Some melons scatter globes of bitter gold.
I recapitulate- I must be brief:
“Strive for the wisdom called Alternative“!
© Elizabeth Dandy
Wisdom is an interesting thing. It doesn't strictly come from books or lectures, but from life experiences. Combined is wonderful, but usually people have more of one than the other. It's a good thing we can help each other out.