The world says that it’s good to get better, day by day, until we die.  Take any quality, such as playing the guitar.  We’ll gradually play the chords more accurately and sweetly, plus we’ll learn new chords.  And our right hand will grow into skilled finger-picking.

That’s one vision … but there’s another.  Take the current state of your skill and let yourself stay there.  Fall deeply into what is here and now.  Let the music take you into realms unknown. 

I love turquoise.  Here are many shades:

Pick one of the vertical strips.  Let’s say that’s where you are now, and you like it.  Then look at the one immediately to the right.  That’s the turquoise I want! 

And so begins the rest of your life, yearning for that better shade.  Plus forgetting the beauty that’s before you now.

***

One way to live is stretching to the left or right.  Sometimes that’s me

At other times, I rest into going down, letting the deeper embrace me

I like that better