Two Brothers

Two brothers once sat under a shady banyan tree
in leisure post lunch, they canvassed matter of utter primacy
the debated over the future to come, and what its nature could be

Now even though they were physically alike
but the thoughts in their mind about the life to come
bore the least of any similarity

the first one saw the obscure future as a sheet of black darkness
he feared, as to what may leap out of this nothingness
marshes, serps, dead thugs, demons or some other predicament
God forbid what untold evil may lie there in concealment

his view was that of a pessimist, who believed in being consummately prudent
and he seldom lay his feet on paths not treaded commonly

His brother however strongly suggested another side this argument
he stated his belief was in a future that was unknown
not due to darkness, but due to excessive light
the future as he saw, held an open invitation
to tread new paths, claim treasures lost in invisibility
his view was that of an optimist who was reluctant
to fear what lay ahead in his life
instead of scary darkness, he saw ahead
a field sprouting all over with plants of opportunity

And so under that shady banyan tree
the two brothers canvassed this mystery
but as I listen to these two talk, it doesn't take long to realize
that the optimist and pessimist, the fearful the aggressive
the timid the brave, the conservative the revolutionary
these brothers with not the least similarity
were but two forms of thought that existed in me

and it will take a patient ear to the words of both
to survive, to live, to achieve in this life
it would take the words of both, to make the best of me