Do you know of the poet Jack Gilbert, or his profoundly moving poem, A Brief for the Defense?

I was reading this poem aloud to a friend tonight, and realized that I had to simply ditch the post I was intending to polish then publish, and instead, share this provokingly powerful poem with you, too.

I will not attempt to tell you what he says in the poem, for I couldn’t possibly do it justice.  Please use one of the links in this post to give yourself the gift.  I will, however, tell you that this is how it starts:  “Sorrow everywhere.  Slaughter everywhere.  If babies are not starving someplace, they are starving somewhere else.  With flies in their nostrils.”

There’s a grabber of a beginning, eh?  But wait.  There’s another grabber not far after that one.  “We must risk delight.”

Huh?  Where did that come from?  How in the world can these two ideas appear in the same poem?  How can we have one when we have the other?

That’s just what the poem addresses:  How can I laugh as I did today when there is a devastating oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico?  How can I sleep in a luxuriously air conditioned room as I will tonight when there are those who will not sleep for fear of losing their lives?  How can I dare to want what I want when there are those in states of such devastating need?

And what does all of this have to do with risk?  I ask you to read the poem, please.  And then let’s talk.

Laura Biering has an infectious zeal for coaching people who want to do enlivening work and live inspired lives. She's fired up about the power of taking risks - great and small - and the rewards that come as a result. She's also passionate about (1) creativity and authenticity and their potential to change the world, (2) frolicking with her adorable four-legged children, and (3) retreating with those she loves at her farm in Southeast Georgia, Brinson's Race. Visit her website at True Voices.
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