The why question can
Never be answered the
Reason is because the
Answer to the why
Question is itself reason
The problem with reason
Is that it’s either
Reasonable or it’s unreasonable
Reason is a judgment
A decision and our
Judgments and our decisions
Are open to evaluation
So while what you
Do is simple for
You the why you
Do question is unanswerable
Because when someone asks
You why what they’re
Really asking is for
You to convince them
The what you did
Just tell me how
How many times how
Many tries how many
Fights and how many
Apologies and how how
Often must we forgive
Please tell me how
Many wrecked vacations how
Many disappointing holidays how
Many separations and how
How how how have
We allowed us to
Get here how how
Can we look at
Each other with nothing
To say how do
We finally accept that
All of the how’s
Have ended here now
And when things happen
Whether good or bad
It’s not the thing
That defines the man
But what he does
After the thing happened
Some try to forget
While others even forgive
Some carry on gaily
A few do stop
The thing that matters
Most isn’t right after
It’s what happens after
What happened right after
That defines the man
Always do your best
I find great comfort
In knowing you’re there
Like a far off
Land I once visited
I enjoy learning you
And your different ways
Your promises and dreams
But most of all
I like how you
Don’t fit in with
My life you challenge
Me and my ideas
It’s there right then
When I finally know
That my life is
Better promises to be
With you in it
Sometimes after a long
Day your voice envelopes
Me like a hot
Bath or warm blanket
Or a flickering candle
Making the wars of
Life disappear I run
To it drag myself
To it accept it
As my reward for
Doing all the things
I’d rather not do
HARLAN DIDRICKSON 