THE WISDOM OF INSECURITY

for Alan Watts


To hold a certain, sure belief
May bring you comforting relief,
And that appeals to most of us
When faced with the ambiguous.

And yet the world is not a box
But rather rife with paradox,
Contending claims, confusing views,
Not blacks and whites but varied hues.

Thus those who prove the most astute
Will most eschew the absolute,
Prefer the flexible and free,
And live with insecurity.

Though this is hard to realize,
It’s what the ancients meant by “wise.”