Finding My Religion, Or, Lengths Vs Distance — Part One

Finding My Religion 

(Part One of ?)

some philosophizing by a Faust

"The lengths that I would go to, 

the distance in your eyes"

—— Michael Stipe, "Losing My Religion," R.E.M.

you know, it's just like the chance interaction

to — just in time — remind you — and by you i mean me —

to hold off — for a moment — that too reflex reaction —

that one that if you saw how it looked —  you'd agree

as if knowing the what meant any knowing of how

only true for a handful of cases, a fraction

so small I would think myself wise to allow

as much room wide as deep — to see — my reflection

but just getting ahead of that knee jerk redaction

just not settling again for some impromptu show

takes on all my risk averse dealing in action

risks again taking in what i'd keen disavow

if such lengths served me like measure of real world success

to even greater i'd go — much more often — than less