Spiritual Median
by Cleve Mathews

  Ali Eli Smith, everyman
  of the modern world,
  borne down by depressive events
  calls out to the Spirit of Life,
“Oh, Spirit, tell me how to deal
  with the forces that promote
  war, injustice, corruption –
  all these have clouded my faith
  in the goodness of time.
  What shall I do?”
“Hello, Al, I hear you.”
“What? Who’s that?”
“Didn’t you call me, Al?”
“That voice? Whose is it?”
“Why, Al, I’m the Spirit of Life.
  You know, I bring about
  all the stirrings of compassion
  giving life the shape of justice.”
“But that’s just a song.”
“Music soothes the savage breast, Al”
“I know, but I didn’t expect you.”
“Alas, that’s too often the case.
  What’s with you humans?
  Now, what can I do for you, Al?”
“Well, I called you for advice
  on how to end my dismay
  over the sad state of our world today –
  needless war, hunger, neglect.”
“Al, those problems are older
  than I am, and my answer
  is just a variation on what
  I’ve told the generations
  all the way up your DNA chain.”
“And that is?”
“Well, consider the median –
  you know what a median is, of course,
  the midpoint in any collection
  arranged from low to high.”
“Oh, yes. I know my math.”
“Good! Then you can see
  that in any characteristic
  you care to consider,
  there are as many below
  as above the median.”
“So what does that mean?”
“It means, Al, on any subject
  there are causes for darkness
  as well as lightness.”
“I still don’t see how that applies
  to my downcast state.”
“Wake up, Al. Don’t you see
  that interdependent web you talk about
  includes those on both sides
  of the median at every link in the web?
  The respect you owe is to every member
  of every interest group involved.”
“Oh, I think I see.”
“But, Al, respect is not acceptance.
  Now I know that acceptance
  is also one of your principles,
  and you have to accept people
  before you can respect them,
  but respect goes beyond
  and demands that you do something.”
“Oh, what should I do?”
“You act to keep the initiative
  of the outliers – the extremists – from blocking
  the good measured by the median.”
“Oh, I get it now.
  We have to allow a hearing
  of far-out views while being sure
  the people’s interests are served.
  But, Spirit, don’t we have to take care
  not to cross the median strip
  and run head on into an outlier?”
“OK, Ali, don’t be a co-median.
  I’m outta here!”   

At a time when extremists threaten to set the course of events, we need to know what impels them, but we must bolster the moderate forces of democracy that serve the interests of the people at large. My poem tries in a light-hearted way to encourage these moderate forces. (all principles)