Author: Mike Temkin
Published: 02/26/2025
Bio: Upon retiring from a career in advertising/marketing in 2022, Mike Temkin has attended and thoroughly enjoyed a variety of courses at OLLI/ASU including a number of courses related to Poetry by Rosemarie Dombrowski. Mike also compiles a newsletter available on Linkedin, Facebook, Substack and Medium entitled "Thoughts And Observations" which each month provides an overview of topics examined by leaders from all walks, vocations and disciplines of life. Recent subjects have included: Meditation/Mindfulness, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, Mental Health, Homelessness, Mentoring, Loyalty, Intersectionality, Leadership, Climate Change, Cybersecurity, Gun Violence/Gun Rights/Gun Safety, Critical Thinking and Sustainability
At first all was sublime, simply benevolent,
as ideal as first love, as strong as one’s own unique ambitions,
one’s first and foremost aspirations.
Then the unexpected turning point, the detrimental detour,
the inevitable compromise.
Those first, delicious hopes and dreams become obstructed
by clouded observations, inappropriate responses,
denials, excuses, falsifications, and just nothing more
than missed opportunities.
Love unrequited. Questions unanswered. Goals unfulfilled.
You come to a tipping point –
either an internal collapse
or a well-disciplined correction.
You choose the latter. More than a choice. It is intuitive.
Not rational. But somehow seemingly predetermined. Predestined.
Letting go of regrets, in a dreamlike state of mind,
you bypass opaque crystal teardrops – unresolved remorse …
for visionary heights - prismatic plateaus.
A determined focus on first passions, shared inspirations, companionable collaboration.
You solidify your resolve. Focus and fortitude require diligence and dedication.
With new foresight and forbearance, a kinetic energy full of
prospective challenges and potential optimism
takes you back to those first sensations of new acquaintances, fresh options,
unconquered heights of promise. Full of possibilities. A new beginning in an ever-evolving life of chances and changes ---- sometimes hampered by bitterness and fatigue …
but always hopefully, eventually meeting the optimal exhilaration of unbridled celebration
and gratifying recognition.
.
