The soft, story-telling voice of Garrison Keillor greets me at my desk as the caffeine reaches my bloodstream. iTunes updates my podcasts, APM and NPR primarily – an important part of my day’s beginning. The writer’s almanac seeps into my brain as it spins up, thoughts converge and life resumes for another day.
Then it happens, the sound reaches my ears converted to electrical impulses that stimulate more than just sounds receptors – thinking, wondering. Is it all the same, have I done this before, will I do it again. How routine this life seems I silently shout. The poem of the day has finished, but my heart remains enwrapped in this dialogue.
Everything Happens Twice
by Eve RobillardThat bird sitting dazed on the railing
has flown into your window before.The dead-end street you’ve turned onto—
you did that just last month. The bosscalling you into his office
has nothing new to say.There are only so many scripts.
Everything happens twice.The friend who borrows your raincoat
will borrow your raincoat tomorrow. The parentwho never loved you enough
is doing it from the grave. You are writingthe very same poem
over & over again they are playingthat old, old song but it’s never
the very last dance. So smile at the guywho drinks too much-
the one with forget-me-not eyes. Sleepwith the one who calls you
by another woman’s name.
It is a new day, things are different today than the day before. There was frost this morning, I woke late and made it to work early, I sent an email to an old friend. Life is different from day to day. The routine might be the same but I’m new each day and I choose to walk in the light or in the darkness each day, each moment. I choose to believe everything is meaningless and the same and settle for life less rich, or choose to embrace all that following Jesus has to offer.
My heart and mind are in sync, ready to start the day, they’ve fought the battle of cynicism and the temptation to beleive life as a Jesus follower is mundane and predictable.
And life resumes.
