BOLD PRESENT

By Pasithea Chan

Culture or clutter, torture or fracture
words with lots of components to factor.
Between real and actor receiver and doer;
cultures are born, or lorn until no more.

Culture is growth until it fractures
progress with duress and fails to impress.
Culture is relevant until made remnant
when it tortures people’s existence.
Culture is influence until it clutters
people’s judgment with bias and ignorance.

Old and modern are matters of mode
each with a hold on hearts that abode
in men’s chests down life’s road.
Culture is old when it is sold or told.
Culture is modern when it can concern
people trying to live as they learn.

Like shoes we wear, culture must be ware
that it’s people learn and compare.
Mode is not a hold, even if old is gold.
Thou shall not deny change of mode
with the change of time and abode.

And as waters flow, cultures must go
where their people’s hearts can follow.
Dams are only worth the water they hold.
Drought and flood are extremes that blow
life’s balance, where ambivalence
makes culture run out of existence.

Heartbeats are culture’s feet,
dancing life to a glorious feat.
You can’t beat a beat
if you’ve decided to forfeit
dancing to that beat.

So embrace your wrinkles
and be kind to your ankles.
Water your periwinkles
with your heartbeat
to see your culture live like sprinkles
on life’s cupcake like a star that twinkles.

After all, modern is a mode
for those who can’t be told
old is gold without hoping to remold
gold to fit a present that’s bold.