Extreme
Extreme
he was.
Extreme
was his name.
He
looked upon others,
From
his extreme position
And
all but a few, close by,
Who
used his own words,
He
saw as extreme.
And
a few he saw
As
Lazy
wishy washy
Spineless
moderates.
Most,
he saw as enemies,
Evil,
enemies, out to destroy him
And
his way.
Facts
matter little to Extreme.
They
rarely change his view.
I
knew him in school.
I
knew him at work.
I
knew him at play.
I
tried repeatedly to be his friend,
But
he would not.
No
dialog was possible with him.
He
was right and all the world was wrong.
Pride
and Arrogant could have been his name.
He
was Extreme.
I
tried to understand his position
On
an issue
And
I tried to support it.
To
my surprise,
He
switched view.
I
tried again.
Again
he switched.
I
tried to determine what goals drove him.
My
conclusion is still wavering.
Self?
Attention?
Social
welfare?
Wealth?
Power?
Fear?
What
is the driving force behind Extreme?
He
seems willing to destroy his own life,
And
the life of others,
While
wailing about pro life,
Or
freedom of choice,
Or
conservation,
Or
gun control,
Or
religion,
Or
the lack thereof.
Or
the use of resources.
To
please him seems impossible.
To
speak to him seems fruitless.
I
note he has no ears,
Just
tiny holes that filter all but words
He
wants to hear.
And
then I wonder,
“Who
am I?”
Can
I hear
Words
quite clear
I
have not heard before?
Is
it possible for me to change my view
Because
of the truth of those new words?
Do
I filter all but words I want to hear?
Do
I know that I do not know
All
I need to know?
Have
I been changed by new understanding
Of
Truth lately?
I
wonder
Am
I driven by
Love,
Joy,
Peace,
Long-suffering,
Patience,
Goodness,
Kindness,
Gentleness,
Self
control,
Or
am I driven by
Fear,
Anger,
Self
interest,
Ruthless
disregard for the life
And
property of others?
If
I am one who is extreme,
I
would like to be extreme
In
Love,
Joy,
Peace
Long-suffering,
Patience,
Goodness,
Kindness,
Gentleness,
And
self control.
To
judge others by these standards,
Would
be foolish,
But
to measure myself by them
And
improve
Would
be wise.
The
reality, I see, however
-
I
am often drawn by
The
fruit of some other spirit
Than
His!
Lord,
teach me your ways.
Lord,
change my spirit
That
I may bear good fruit
And
beneficial!
Billy
Reese Masten
11/13/12
