Freedom

FREEDOM IS… THE THREEFOLD PATH

The exile, the orphan, the man with no child

The knowledge to cope with the tame and the wild

No fish to feed, no plants to water

No dog to walk, no plans to alter

No money owed, no rent to pay

Happy to leave and happy to stay

 

Closing the door without turning the lock

Awaiting the train without watching the clock

Spending your cash without guilt or regret

Losing the game without getting upset

A strong stomach, a strong back

A light foot and a light pack

 

Earning more than you make

Giving more than you take

Admitting whenever you made a mistake

Knowing how to distinguish the real from the fake

Saying only what you know to be true

And saying it only if you have to

 

Indifferent to the opinion of those you don’t admire

Untroubled by ambition to which you must aspire

No television interview, no press release

No record with the cops, or with the Ministry of Peace

No public face, either for infamy or fame

None held in awe and none in disdain

 

Sharp tools, well-practised, carried in the head

An obstinate refusal to lead or be led

Knowing that someday each truth will be disproved

And watching it happen, and staying unmoved

Constantly questioning the threefold path —

Solvency, silence, sincerity.

 

AJG, 1985