The Rest Remains

for Maria

The more I know the less I know: I know
A secret which nobody else can share
I understand myself and poetry
That it is always better here than there
And thank God for the promise of this day
The rest remains a mystery to me
So I just keep to myself as I go
On my softspoken solitary way

Eyes open mouth shut keeping my head down
Listening to what other people say
Avoiding the fool sidestepping the clown
Waiting for the blowhard to blow away

I walk through crowded streets alone and see
That in the end I am my only friend
A secret which nobody else can share
With nothing left except to simply be
And be more simply here than anywhere
The more I know the less I know: I know
I am my only friend that in the end
The rest remains a mystery to me

+Steven Curtis Lance



Copyright MMVI