Don't Bolt It
I wouldn’t bolt the door, friend, as you could well be wrong, you know,
For though we're entitled to our view, knowledge we don’t outgrow.
And if the view you hold is wrong, you might hear, “I told you so,”
Or soon hear yourself exclaiming the proverbial, “Oh, no!”
It’s alright to hold a view, and to believe that it’s correct,
But you are treading on thin ice if somehow a lock has clicked.
It’s one thing to close a door — another, to bolt or lock it,
For such locked or bolted doors are never to one’s benefit.
The mind is not for locking, otherwise, thoughts won’t freely flow,
Which is why a door has hinges, so things in and out can go.
A door also has a handle which benefits you and I,
Amidst a conversation when I chatter and you reply.
And then when you’ve made up your mind, you can gently close the door,
But don’t forget that handle, for views you hold may have a flaw.
Yes, they may need to go back out, and something else be let in,
For that’s how we make sure that only what’s right abides within.
Some folk have a mind that is bound with an unbreakable chain,
Which is why faulty beliefs deep within their mind oft remain.
And the key to open the lock that’s attached to that old chain,
Appears to have been misplaced, and a new one hard to obtain.
Yes, we should have an open mind, one that isn’t shut, that is,
One that is always prepared to listen, to assess and quiz,
For though we don’t have to accept what we believe isn’t true,
We should always have the time for someone else’s point of view.
So, don’t lock it or bolt it, nor invest in a solid chain,
For such will just prevent growth, and in a groove you will remain.
Challenges are good for us, and often that is how we find
That we have been entertaining a wrong viewpoint in our mind.
By Lance Landall