November PAD Chapbook Challenge – Day 14: The hum

Day 14: write a ‘temporary’ poem (see link)
 
The hum
 
If you say everything is temporary
is doing anything worthwhile?
 
Is it enough just to experience it,
feel it, be in it, take the deep dive?
 
Is it worth loving & being loved if it will stagnate?
Is it worth building a company that might go bust?
 
Is it worth making a friendship you might lose?
Is it worth following a dream that just might burst?
 
Yes.
 
A famous poet wrote about the feel of not to feel it,
so should we wander through our life numb?
 
Should we ignore every opportunity out of fear
or the hunch that we won’t pass ‘Go’?
 
Is it worth starting if everything will finish?
You might as well ask if it’s really worth living.
 
Losing is part of the process
& everything on the planet has a shelf life,
 
just like a chunk of Cheddar cheese
or any wine once you open the bottle.
 
To feel it is enough. It makes us human.
To not feel anything at all is the scariest thing of all.
 
Step outside & you’ll hear the birds, traffic rumble,
feel the buzz, the vibration of the city. The hum.
 
It doesn’t matter which direction you walk in.
It will take you somewhere
 
& whichever path you take you’ll sometimes hit
a crossroad, a fork in the road.
 
Sometimes it’s easier to flow then choose
or leave the choice to somebody else,
 
but that surrenders your steering wheel
when you’re not supporting actress or wing man.
 
If it’s all temporary, surely the need to feel every single part
of life becomes richer, the experience more real.
 
If everything is indeed lost it’s just winter shedding leaves
so spring can rush in something new.
 
Copyright Vickie Johnstone, November 14, 2026