Stop the World, I Need a Ruling – The Fight Over My Heart and Mind
Stop the world, I need a ruling
I’m not lost; only confused
A momentary lapse of reasoning
When two and two aren’t trying
And there is no obvious solution
Perhaps to see an optometrist
Double vision on certain things
Sometimes it’s a simple correction
But trepidation looms and questioning
A looking glass with two sides
Reflections and refractions
Plain sight or just distraction
Nothing I see is really clear
Hard to tell if close or near
Uncertainty in the shattering
Haven’t reached that tipping point
Instead to seek a guiding benchmark
Finding a new starting spot
With so many fingers pointing
So many directions beckoning
My tattered map isn’t tracking
No longer valid, or so I’ve heard
It’s an archive from long ago
Written in the script of the ancients
When might made right
And mental games were relegated
To kingly courts and serenades
Maybe some time at a rest stop
An oasis on life’s great highway
One hopefully with facilities
I’d like to get some nourishment
You see, my soul has a yearning
Despite the lack of clarity
Call it a hunger, if you wish
I’ve cleared away the debris
Broken chairs I’ve purchased
Dust from the stacks of paper
Seeds I planted which never grew
Angry scars from anchor cords
Surgically cut and thrown away
Mental freedom has a cost
The instability of a great emptiness
So much space available for rent
Or purchase, to the right seller
Yet I’m caught by uncertainty
Not afraid, but stepping carefully
Deciding on the methodology
Timetables and roundtables
Trying to see the dimensions
Find what’s hidden beneath
Sweep out the shadowed corners
For every moon has a darkened side
And false intent is camouflage
Sometimes hidden in an entourage
Insert a single line into the code
And the virus spreads again anew
When at last I see the shattering
I’d be remiss to leave shards of glass
A razor edge without discrimination
Cuts though both good and bad
And no resolution from the pendulum
Opposite ends with acres in between
Extremities offer no solution
Difficulties in making determinations
Some deliver while some torment
Others protect, still others compromise
Ulterior motives and whimsical words
Remnants of what I’ve seen and heard
A wise man said to take a breath
Take time to still your consciousness
Call your throne a remaining chair
Rebuild your kingdom, but take your time
One deep breath…you’ll be fine
Additional Works By This Author
- When We Lost Control - October 13, 2025
- The Crumbling Space Around Me - October 10, 2025
- Sorrow - October 9, 2025

“I’m not lost, but there are questions.” You said it, on this journey of life, being human isn’t easy and often we just need to still the mind and take a few breaths. Nicely expressed Ralph, of all those feelings and thoughts that plague our minds here on earth. Enjoyed it my friend.
A lot of those thoughts are running in and out of my mind right now – so many things to do, so many schedules to keep straight, so many appointments … and so it is in life. Love and moral support here for you, dear friend. Take care, Ralph.