Retreat: A poem by Donovan Baldwin

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Words are great fun, as are concepts. It's even more phun (philosophical fun) to take the occasional swing at philosophy, words, and Rene Descartes (didn't think a truck driving ex-army sergeant who speaks a certain amount of German and a smattering of Polish would be familiar with him, would you?) Of course, if I remember correctly, Rene was a mathematician, so he probably figured the odds were good that somebody would take a swing at him.

Cogito Ergo Hmmm?

"I think, therefore I am."
Makes a bit of sense to me.
But, if I think that I am not,
Do I then cease to be?

Then I'm neither here nor there!
Oh, my heart begins to sink.
If I don't know that I exist,
How do I know I think?

My mind is now immobile
Despite all attempts to move it.
I've negated my existence,
Just because I hoped to prove it.

**This was written in April 1982 and published in The Advocate in 1993. Shortly after that, I added the following:**

Still worse, you haven't even
Thought of this, I warrant;
If I don't think that you are here,
Perhaps you aren't!

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Don Baldwin
P. O. Box 380819
Duncanville, TX 75138