The Laughing Heart by Charles Bukowski
your life is your life
don’t let it be clubbed into dank submission.
be on the watch.
there are ways out.
there is a light somewhere.
it may not be much light but
it beats the darkness.
be on the watch.
the gods will offer you chances.
know them.
take them.
you can’t beat death but
you can beat death in life, sometimes.
and the more often you learn to do it,
the more light there will be.
your life is your life.
know it while you have it.
you are marvellous
the gods wait to delight
in you.
Once upon a time in Dublin my friend Fionnuala read out loud this poem that our friend Fiona had given her. Since I first heard it 18 months ago I’ve shared it with numerous people (some of whom don’t have Fion in their names). This poem has etched itself into my consciousness and the phrase “know it while you have it” was one I repeated to myself during the highs (see every other blog!) and lows (sleep deprivation) of the WIP experience.
I was reminded of the poem’s message when I asked my Ten Questions interviewees what advice they had for young graduates. Father Charles Currie said, "Keep a sense of hope in your power to make a difference" whilst Frank McGuinness stressed the importance of believing "that everything was going to be alright in terms of making a career out of [an] Arts background.”
The priest, the poet and the playwright all emphasise the importance of having faith in yourself, especially when it’s seems like the most difficult thing to do. It's a message I find myself clinging to as I enter the world of work at a time of economic instability. I wanted to share this poem in this my last proper blog because I know there will be potential applicants to WIP who may be debating whether or not it is worth their while filling out the very extensive application form. I was in the same position last year and I’d urge you to do so. What do you have to lose? The gods will offer you chances… this may be one of them.
