Prompt: "Do you have the courage to yearn for a better time, knowing some of your yearnings won't be met?" (complete poem below; prompt could be from all or part)
Band of Writers UUFLG, March 31, 2026, for April 12 meeting

Note: I don’t propose this essay as the truth, just some of what I am feeling in sad times.

Once upon a time, a man yearned for a better time. A time when the woman of his dreams was here. But she melted away, fading into the mist of yesterday. Then there was only today left. The only time there is.

The man realized this, and he dreams no more. There is no reason to yearn for what can never be. He realized that not only could a better time never come, but that this misty woman never was, and never existed. He realized that he never even had such a dream. Such a woman can never be, never was, and never will be. If such dreams were even possible, they would rise up like little bubbles blown from a little circular piece of plastic and go pop. For there is no time except now. It is always now. Why even be disappointed? The place that is now has ended before the beginning. His dreams ended even before they began.

Why dream of a better world, only to be disappointed and fooled again and again? There is only eternity, now; even as the bubbles rise and pop over and over again. Eternity is all we have. We go around and around, like fools we ride our hopes, chasing our own tails and weaving our own false tales. Idiots as we are, dreaming that we can be better than we are, let us just enjoy the bubbles as they rise and pop, over and over again. An eternal mist of popping bubbles. Kind of pretty, I guess. I reach out to catch them, and they pop. Then they rise again. An evanescent parade of bubbles and pops.

A left-over idea came to me in a dream. Maybe if we focus on the here and now, we could generate enough misty bubbles and pops that could be harnessed as a form of alternative energy. A bubble station could be built over on Winchester Boulevard near the Winchester Mystery House, by Mrs. Winchester herself.
But alas, this is just another left-over dream today that popped and went away when I woke up. I drove over there to look, but there was no such Bubbles and Pops station there. Not yet, anyway.

Some relevant songs to link to:
The Beatles (Paul McCartney),Yesterday
The Who, Won’t Get Fooled Again
Joni Mitchell, The Circle Game
Fleetwood Mac, Future Games
The Byrds, 5D (Fifth Dimension)

P.S. Here is the complete post and poem from the UUFLG discussion email.

Dear someone wonderful,

As I continue to absorb recent news, these words came to me during a silent meditation. I hope that they give you strength and solace.
As always, you're welcome to share this poem in any way you wish.

Blessings, Rich

A Prayer for the Courage to Feel
by Rich Orloff

Do you have the courage to feel the sorrow

Do you have the courage to fully grieve

Do you have the courage to make space for your rage

Do you have the courage to admit your fear

Do you have the courage to yearn for a better time

Knowing some of your yearnings won’t be met

Do you have the courage to forgive life

For being far more difficult than you expected

Do you have the courage to have faith

To accept that the future is unknown

To allow for the great mysteries

To believe in the possibility of light

I pray for the courage to face each day

I pray for compassion when I can't

I pray for the courage to let others see me as I am

I pray for the ability to feel love even in dark times

copyright © 2026 Rich Orloff.

For publishing rights, contact the author

Otherwise, feel free to share the poem as you wish. You can read other poems by the author at POEMS