Navigating Life

GPS for Life
by Big Frank Dickinson

Is there a global positioning system
for all topographies in life?
Where am I in relationship
to what I seek?
Am I on the right road to
contentment or is this a dead end?
How do I get to the state of satisfaction?
Do these destinations even exist?
Maps of places we’ve never been
(Whitehorse, Asunción, and Kyzyl)
not only show the destination, but
also how to get there.
Take the right road;
(Look it’s noted right there on the map!)
and you will arrive; it’s assured.
What about self-fulfillment, equanimity,
or a mutually satisfying relationship?
Is this the road to a rewarding friendship?
Does that alley really lead me to religious faith?
Will that u-turn recapture love?
Unfortunately the terrain is too fickle;
mountains of despair sprout without warning;
oceans of doubt flow in and out of the landscape;
and rivers of opportunity spring up quickly,
and just as quickly dry out and disappear.
No, it’s point to point navigation:
know where you are, and know where you want to be.
Those are your two fixed points.
That is all the map you’ll ever get.
What lies in between -
No roads or trails . . .
just you and your position.
But it's not any global one.
Maybe not even a system.