Only a Test?

Only a Test?

Do not be alarmed by the banging,
existence is merely a test,
a study of plausible physics
in a metaphysical quest.

Do not be distressed over morals,
there are no great truths you should know.
If your journey made any difference,
you would have been told where to go.

Do not be concerned about meaning,
no need to search 'round for a clue.
If your life had an actual purpose,
you would have been told what to do.

Is our universe actually endless,
Or merely the space we observe?
Is reality something we make up,
Or something we're made up to serve?

Author's note: ▼

Nihilism : the rejection of all religious and moral principles, in the belief that life is meaningless.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/confirmed-we-live-in-a-simulation/


I was inspired by a half-remembered quote from my childhood:

“This life is a test - it is only a test.
If it had been an actual life, you would have received further
instructions on where to go and what to do.
Remember, this life is only a test.”

It's attributed to a Buddhist named Jack Kornfield, but I'm certain I heard a similar version long before he popularized it in the 1990s.


Entered in the March 2025 round of:

FORUM

Poetic Traditions Poetry Contest   (E) A Contest for Metrical Rhyming Poetry. #2055137 by Brenpoet

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