Star Chart

Kitora Tumulus star chart from Cave in Asuka-Fujiwara Cave. Image from Wikimedia commons.

I won't make any promises.

When I look at my track record,
I cannot count how many
I've left in the dust.

Chalk it up to good intentions
and a poor memory.

One of the great themes of life, certainly one that has intrigued and baffled me throughout my life, is the relationship between personal agency (choice and volition) and the greater forces that move us where they will (the “hand of providence”). These greater forces include our own inner drives that often go counter to our will or move us along without conscious direction. When choice and chance align, it is truly as if we are blessed by the stars.

How do you balance choice and chance in your life? How do you relate to the greater forces of life?

Please share your thoughts and comments below.

I can claim a racehorse
needs blinders to stay on track,
but the truth is, I am not
a thoroughbred.

I would much rather
graze in protected wilds
than live the stable life
gambling the 9 to 5 odds.

Better not bet at all
than lose my dignity
for a trophy.

When I lay down
under the night sky,
I can look for shooting stars
and make wishes.
It’s already written in the stars
and those that do not come true
were never meant to be.

Instead of trophies,
in that empty space on the mantle,
I put a star chart.

But I still can’t keep myself
from throwing darts at it.