The young
\nthink they seek it
\nbut just for their own,
\nlike the drunk and the lamp-post.
\nThe key lies elsewhere.<\/p>\n
If you and yours
\nare fed and sheltered,
\nsafe and hale,
\nthe meaning of life<\/i>
\n— yes, life, yes, meaning —
\nis helping those who are not.<\/i>I<\/p>\n
Nor are the “those”
\njust kin and kind.
\nAll living creatures who feel
\ncan be hurt.
\nAnd most are;
\nand mostly by our kin and kind.<\/p>\n
Nor is “do no harm”
\nenough,
\nfor not-doing
\nis doing too.<\/p>\n
There is not a monstrosity
\nwe inflict on other kinds
\nthat we do not inflict on our own.<\/p>\n
But on our own,
\nwe condemn it,
\nwe’ve outlawed it,
\nand most of us
\nwould never commit it.<\/p>\n
Yet on the other kinds
\nwe don’t just permit it
\nbut most of us support it,
\ncollaborate in it,
\nprofit from it.<\/p>\n
If the Golden Rule
\nthat<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The young think they seek it but just for their own, like the drunk and the lamp-post. The key lies elsewhere. If you and yours are fed and sheltered, safe and hale, the meaning of life — yes, life, yes, meaning — is helping those who are not.I Nor are the “those” just kin and … <\/p>\n