Unconditional Conditions

The Ancient Modern

Unconditional Conditions  /  Joshua Alan Sturgill     

          I cannot believe in the free will
         of the philosophers.  Neither in pre- 

limits imposed by our bodies
limits imposed on our thoughts
limits imposed by space and time

          destination, however convincing its
          theology.  I am not a dichotomist, bound

sleep to relieve our exhaustion 
sleep of ignorance, even while awake
sleep as loss of union with God

          to embrace an extreme.  Three experiences
          keep me from intruding on such a pro-

death as an outward decay
death as purifier of the soul
death as our return to paradise

          found mystery: soma, psyche, pneuma. 
          Why invent illusions?  Why pronounce on  

fundamental laws of matter
immutable ratios of geometry
supra-cosmic forces of Eros

          the path of the wind?  We have both:
          the sky and the command to breathe

All poetry and supplementary material: copyright 2023 by Joshua Alan Sturgill. All rights reserved.