Well. I will let you read the poem before I say some things:
“I exist in the depths of solitude
pondering my true goal.
Trying 2 find peace of mind
and still preserve my soul.
CONSTANTLY yearning 2 be accepted
and from all receive respect.
Never compromising but sometimes risky
and that is my only regret.
A young heart with an old soul
how can there be peace.
How can I be in the depths of solitude
when there R 2 inside of me.
This Duo within me causes
the perfect opportunity
2 learn and live twice as fast
as those who accept simplicity.”
- poem by Tupac Shakur
Every once in awhile you read something written by a famous, controversial, individual and you get reminded that most of us are alike in how we think about shit.
This poem was one of those things for me.
First of all not a single line is wasted. Each is thoughtful and thought provoking.
Second it was written by Tupac. Now. Tupac wasn’t just controversial … he was a lightning rod for issues.
Some created by his own fault and some created by a misunderstanding, and unforgiving, public. And sometimes that controversy made many of us <me included> tune him out. I imagine I was not in a minority as a group of people who just thought there was nothing truly meaningful there to hear from this individual.
2 quick thoughts.
- I was wrong.
- What a shame.
Regardless.
The man could put words together in ways many people can only dream of. He was a contradiction <as many of us are> and he had the ability to capture that contradiction in what he said and sang and did.
So. The poem.
In the depths of solitude.
Within each of our own ‘depths of solitude’ I imagine we all wrestle with some of the same things Tupac did … and some of our own stuff.
I imagine if we invested the energy to think about it enough we would see that we wrestle so much because of the natural contradictions.
Peace of mind and preserve my soul.
Never compromise but sometimes risky.
Young heart and old soul <how can there be peace?>
And what an amazing thought he finishes with … for all of us to ponder.
“Learn faster than those who accept simplicity.”
Awesome.
So rather than have the contradictions split him … and slow him down … it permits him the hope, in his own soul searching <depths of solitude>, to think he can live life, and learn, twice as fast.
And while still recognizing that life is not really that simple … yet some accept the simple path. In my eyes accepting simplicity is not really living life to its fullest … but that’s me. And I certainly don’t have the level of joie de vivre that Tupac had .. which actually balked at simplicity.
I envision there is some place in between that is a happy medium.
All my own words & thoughts aside … this is a thoughtful smart insightful poem from a man who should have lived longer to share what he had to share.
And because he didn’t we should pay attention to what he did share while he was alive.
