I thought in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. “Laughter,” I said, “is foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish?” I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly – my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives. (Ecclesiastes 1:1-3, NIV)

Spoil sport.
Norman Cousins said laughter could cure you
physically. Mentally, too.
Could it be you confuse cheer with beer?
Is foolish so bad?
We already discounted the opposite,
the wisdom.
Isn’t childish the same as foolish?
Surrender’s the key. And the key
doesn’t work with wisdom’s
manipulation.

God, help me discard my sanctimonious
wisdom
and joyfully embrace laying down control
again, as that soldier lays down his weapon in
surrender.
I sit, awaiting your instructions.

 

Taken from A Time for Verse – Poetic Ponderings on Ecclesiastes