THE SEA OF FUTILITY

Questions For Everyman

Who is this man? Is he Christian or Jew? No one is certain: not me, or not you. So how shall we call him?
If he is a traveler, then what is his quest? How far will he wander? How soon will he rest?
Does he long for a homeland?

Is he a poet? Does he speak of despair, of triumph in madness, or the windblown hair of a lover, or does he walk in silence?
Is he a painter? Would his name become clear if we called him an idiot
and cut off his ear? Or would he defy us?

Does he carve into stone: a testament of time... immortal wisdom in marble and lime?
Or would he rather build sandcastles?
Is he a dreamer, like Lennon or Faust? To whom does he beckon, with whom does he joust, and who is his keeper?

Does he call for a change, like King or Voltaire? Or does he walk with the masses and continue to share their frustration?
Does he worry for others wearing love on his sleeve, or languish in shadows while others receive their plaudits?

Who is this child? Whose name will he carry? Will he have children or never be married to another as gifted?
Will he live as a scholar, a teacher, a muse? Will he channel his talent for students to use, or will he suffer in ignorance?

Dozens of questions that blow in the wind. Answers to all can be drawn from within if we ask them.
So who is this person? Could it be you or me? Possibilities are endless.
We all swim the Sea of Futility.