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Never Should You Ever
By Ken Delpit
Whether it’s
“Never would I ever,”
Or “Never will I ever,”
Or “Never could I ever,”
Or “Never can I ever,”
Or “Never should I ever,”
Or “Never have I ever,”
You cannot help but marvel
At what an eternity “Never” is.
At what a commitment “Never” is.
At what a delusion “Never” is.
Few such utterances can hold true,
When a single exception renders them moot.
Most such utterances harbor doubts.
We just cannot help ourselves in our passions.
Who among us say these things?
Why, everyone, of course.
Who among us mean these things?
Well, everyone, of course.
But who among us are truthful about “Nevers”?
Well, some of us are…
Or, intend to be, at least,
At the time, that is,
For the most part, anyway.
So, take heed at the notion of “Never.”
Its purpose is rigid,
But its use is fluid.
Lest you think “Never” always means forever,
Never should you ever.
Ken Delpit, in moments of introspection, grapples with intentions versus realities. “Nevers” and “Alwayses,” generally well-meaning pronouncements, are sly co-conspirators in life. They come in lots of flavors. They come in myriad weights. They come with varying degrees of truth…, or not. They can be purveyors of principle, and they can be agents of deception, including of self. Ken is happy to have found free-writing for exploring such ponderables, not so much for finding answers, but more for discovering questions.
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