The Reluctant Existentialist
(Roy’s words)

I

Clearly there are elements
Of existentialism, fear dread
Meaninglessness, freedom
Sartre’s only philosophical
Problem: suicide

But the speaker cedes control
To an outer form or being
Don’t get me wrong
I like stark images:

Cascading metaphors
The tomb as womb
Push push push
Put your essence
In the power of poetry
The power outside
Your self,

Determines who
You are defines
The meaning

Of life

II

But the very core
Of existentialism.
Presupposes
Self-awareness

Self-knowledge
And self-direction.
Existentialism relies
Exclusively on
“Self” actuation.

Innocence &
Existentialism
Cannot co-exist
I don’t think
you can have it

both ways.

III

“No meaning”
That’s where
Existentialism
Should have
Begun and

Ended

Feelings,
We all
Have them
But I don’t
Much cry

Over things.

2 Responses to “The Many Lives of an Existentialist (Part II)”

1. clematis Says:
   April 13th, 2009 at 2:33 am

   i love this too - without the cliche’s & overburdening - ambiguity - no boring certainity or smugness - i did not want a pre set clear thinking idea of sartre camu existentialism- but confusion & contradiction - retaining the personality of the speaker.

2. yann rolland Says:
   May 3rd, 2009 at 9:27 am

   Hello Clematis, this is good and comforting for soul and constructive too…Thanks for the beautiful and very thoughtful poem….

   have a nice day

   yann

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