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Ego Depletion

Submitted by Unlight on Wed, 2020-02-19 13:47

There’s no need for another revolution
...Meandering about...
Weary minds fall asleep and then there’s heaven
No depth in the vein of a dream,
Only our Sun that shines inside out.

And there’s no step that can be undone
No light that can be unfolded,
Stop and think – there are only two ways:
The way of the living and the way of the dead.

Would you reach for my hand in silence
If I told you a lie?
So much so that everything we used to know
within and without
shivers in the whispers that die.

No depth in the vein of a dream,
Only our Sun that shines inside out.
Weary minds fall asleep and then there’s heaven
...Meandering about...
There’s no need for another revolution!

And if the story ends with a blast
Weary minds will see and read and pierce the night
And the shackles of time will forevermore stand broken
As we meander about...
And depleted we fight!

For there’s no step that can be undone,
No light that can be unfolded,
Stop and think – there are only two ways:
The way of the living and the way of the dead.

Depleted we fight!

Style / type: 
Free verse
Review Request (Intensity): 
I appreciate moderate constructive criticism
Editing stage: 
Not actively editing

Comments

Eumolpus

Thu, 2020-02-20 10:54

Eumolpus's picture

off hand I can't remember the exact name of this sestina like form, but of course doesn't really matter, nor does it matter if its exactly according to it, it works quite well. It so well describes the paradox of our lives, our civilization. The futility of it all, and at the same time the urge to action and hope.
I love the stance and how you talk directly to me and to the universal "you" at the same time. The metaphor of the sun, that no light can be unfolded...there's so much rich stuff in this poem! Bravo.

As I read the poem a few times I'm not totally fond of the title...I have no suggestions, but have you had any second thoughts about it? When I think of ego depletion I think of Tolle Eckhart, and that annoying mantra of having to give up the ego to transform consciousness. This poem rises above that...

I look forward to seeing more of your work, your craft is admirable and memorable.

..

Eumolpus
I'd rather learn from one bird how to sing
than teach ten thousand stars how not to dance
ee cummings

Unlight

Fri, 2020-02-21 02:18

Unlight's picture

I'm glad that you liked my poem, and thank you for wrapping up your feedback in such kind words!

I haven't really considered changing the title, but now that you mention it I do see where the confusion might arise.
However, I wrote this poem some years ago (3 or 4 perhaps) as a sort of poetic response to the concept of "ego depletion" as seen in behavioral economics rather than in Tolle Eckhart's philosophy.

For instance: "Ego depletion is a concept from self-regulation (or self-control) theory in psychology. According to the theory, which has come under heavy scrutiny, willpower operates like a muscle that can be exerted. Studies have found that tasks requiring self-control can weaken this muscle, leading to ego depletion and a subsequently diminished ability to exercise self-control. In the lab, ego depletion has been induced in many different ways, such as having to suppress emotions or thoughts, or having to make a range of difficult decisions. The resulting ego depletion leads people to make less restrained decisions. Consumers, for example, may be more likely to choose candy over granola bars (Baumeister et al., 2008)." (https://www.behavioraleconomics.com/resources/mini-encyclopedia-of-be/eg...) and also (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-the-face-adversity/201204/can...)

This inspired me to write the poem, being frustrated about and not knowing how to supersede the day-to-day exhaustion (that inevitably comes because of work, chores, and all of the things that we do as an expression of our sense of responsibility) which leaves us way behind in our quest for spiritual and intellectual growth. And also, a thing which I believe to be true, we tend to make bad decisions when we're tired, when our willpower is depleted. You'll find this frustration of mine deeply engraved in the first stanza.

Cheers,
Ionut Popa

author comment

Eumolpus

Fri, 2020-02-21 12:36

Eumolpus's picture

and taking the time for such an in depth response.
So very interesting how the philosophies we find around us to effect our poetry. It is not necessary to know what you have shared, but it certainly adds to the interpretation. Perhaps you might then consider a short epigraph under the title
as poems often do when it suits them.

Although "revolution" has many faces, the first, of course, is political so that is where my comprehension began. In the poem I am quickly able to move to it's other implications concerning human nature. But in the first respect, the political, (as today "everything is political" as it was in the time of Thomas Mann!) , ego depletion might well indeed be at play in the current success of depraved gangsters like Trump, or similar types in Brazil, Philippines, Britain, etc etc. It is a collective response to modernity, alienation, and the rise of the Orwellian state.

I had posted a poem "Life is what you do when you're waiting to die" some time back, which is a cousin to this poem.
You can find it easily on the page of my works.

I'll be looking our for your new poems. Thanks again

..

Eumolpus
I'd rather learn from one bird how to sing
than teach ten thousand stars how not to dance
ee cummings

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