I-N-T-R-U-S-I-V-E

Needed to pen these thoughts down!

What is it that we want,

to talk about - do you know?

 

Amidst this shared world of ours,

Constellations apart we stand.

Albeit that, we stand under,

this Pergola together,

on a platform; elevated.

Somehow we exchange the casuals,

say okey-dokey to things that we agree with,

or laugh out loud at balderdash

and, did I mention - memes?

You go about your day, and I

go about mine, thinking,

(merrily) about what the impending

holds for us.

 

What do we "do" then, on a typical day?

 

(Young) Humans spend their typical day,

working towards their respective goals,

realising their duty to tap - their potentials.

 

I ask - 

When did "children" learn all of this?

Who told you that you need to make something,

out of this life of yours?

After all, you never chose to be born!

Shouldn't life just be about cherishing pleasures?

That is what we strive for anyways...

Living a life, endeavouring to extract,

pleasures out of every moment -

(With some elements of gloom sprinkled - to preserve sanity)

that, my friend, is the hedonistic way.

That is not to say that I,

encourage laxadaisy; that is to be avoided.

The curious might even ask, "What then, is the point,

of being altruistic... as a few are?"

“Think about it”, I say, “in the hedonistic way.”

You will have your answer!

Author's Note

The use of the word "intrusive" in the title is meant to make the reader question what the intrusion is - perhaps the intrusion of societal expectations on how one should live their life.
And yes, thanks a lot for reading!

Reviews

[DIVYA]

A poem that lead my thoughts in several directions. Reading it, I felt that we humans lead very limited, compartmentalized and unimaginative lives with few reslly worthwhile things to aspire for. As children, we aspire to just complete our schooling, as youngsters we want to rush through degrees and as full fledged adults we just want decent jobs, lives and kids. We meet, we smile, we engage in meaningless banter and that's all there is to it.

Loved the following lines....

"pleasures out of every moment -
(With some elements of gloom sprinkled - to preserve sanity)
that, my friend, is the hedonistic way."

So true that an expanse of pleasure must have islands of pain so essential to preserving one's sanity. In this, you've made such a brilliant comment on human emotional needs. You understand the human mind wonderfully Referring to altruism as hedonism was another brilliant idea. Altruism is a pleasure we hedonists want every bit of.

Lastly, I do agree life is too short not to be swaying fully with pleasure. We're here for such a brief span of time. It would be unfair if we didn't. Yet, this state of bliss must be interspersed with regular doses of struggle for survival. Life is full of contradictions.

So much said in this poem and still so much more can be said. Thank you for sharing this very meaningful and thought provoking piece.

[Ansal]

Thanks a lot for writing down your amazing thoughts!
(I just noticed the review now...)
This poem was jotted down by me in a fit of frustration, when I was upset with pretty much everything around. But, being an optimist, couldn't help but try to see the positives in everything! While my sister (a Philosophy Major) tried to educate me about hedonism, I thought about what it could it mean to an altruist...these ideas could somehow assimilate to form the lines of this poem. Really thankful to you, for understanding it very well, and refining my ideas further! Have a good day!

[DIVYA]

Do post more poems when you can. You have interesting ideas. Most welcome and its my pleasure Ansal.

[Bivita]

a mix of excitement and displeasure towards life. well balanced and a dose to how our lives are a rollercoaster of happiness and sadness.
well- written.

Bivita

[Ansal]

Thanks for taking time out to read it. Your opinion matters a lot. Thank you! :)

[Nima.Hope]

Important questions mentioned here, which I certainly do not have an answer to many of them, because I guess everyone should find their own answers for them, it's like Shoe Size, for each person is different. Some people can't even "choose" to how love their lives, they are obliged to do certain things "no questions asked".
I admire wise words, keep that going✌️
Nice job

[Ansal]

Thanks a lot for the review! I very well agree to your opinion...the comparison with Shoe Size will, for sure, remain with me. Thanks for the encouragement. Hoping to learn a lot from the likes of you here.

[Nima.Hope]

My pleasure dear friend, keep your enthusiasm,read other poets and try to learn and find your style, but never attach to only one topic and one style.
Best Wishes

[Ansal]

I will keep those in mind. Thanks!

[Chris Shaw]

Interesting thoughts you have penned here Ansal. As an older person, I would say it is about balance. I am all for people working hard for a living, but all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Of course there are those who are vulnerable and can’t work because they are sick or elderly. Those people need to be protected and in a caring society they are. Yet, there are those who think they are entitled to not work and yet are happy to be funded by the tax payer. I believe in freedom of choice, but if people are fit and healthy and choose not to work, I object to my taxes going to support them. Much of this is about education from an early age. Nothing wrong with being taught about a good work ethic while also being aware there are obligations to the vulnerable. I regret to say that I am seeing more people with an entitled attitude around these days. My response here is influenced by where I live and my experiences.

Your thoughts are well laid out. It was a pleasure to read them this morning. You write with clarity and awareness. Thank you for posting.

Chris

[Ansal]

You have moulded the lines of the poetry to suit a novel meaning for yourself. Very interesting...didn't quite look at it from that angle. Thanks a lot for the review!
Have a nice day! :)

[Chris Shaw]

You triggered some thoughts Ansal. You will probably get all sorts of different responses. I hope you get lots of callers. You have a pleasant day too.:)

[Ansal]

I hope to get every sort of response there is; lol! And, thanks for the wishes.