Sometime ago, I think after watching the movie Gladiator, I did some reading on Marcus Aurelius. That reading inspired this poem.

The Color of Our Imagination

A person’s life is dyed with the color of his imagination—Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-180).

Marcus Aurelius was much more like us than you think,
Writer, thinker, burdened with duties he didn’t relish,
A man with a firm sense of responsibility,
Worn out from fighting, defending a crumbling empire,
Forced to watch the collapse of the Pax Romana.
We’ve done all of that in our own way.

He was a stoic by necessity and choice,
Believing the soul to be the
Active elements of air and fire,
Believing the soul to be a *tabular rasa,
Accepting fate with eagerness, believing that
Whatever happens, must happen,
That inner freedom is attained when
Detached from that not in our power.
Survival tactics we should remember.

His writing shows that
He knew much of life and love,
I think this quote was written for us,
For we found each other through
The colors of our imagination,
And it dyed our lives with
Colors we’d never seen,
Feelings we’d never had,
Beginning a journey we
Thought we’d never dare.
Aurelius believed that the natural
Had its own innate beauty,
And every time I see you,
I know it’s the truth.
You are the color of my imagination.

Book News: Today I’m traveling to Jefferson, Texas for Kathy Patrick’s Girlfriend Weekend. This is advertised as the biggest and best book lover’s  and book club convention in the South. So many talented writers will be there, and I’m looking forward to meeting them and learning from them.  I’m sure I’ll have much to report in my future posts. From Jefferson, I’m taking advantage of the long holiday and driving to my parents’ house in Kemp, Oklahoma to help them with some chores.