Do you ever regret there
never having been a moment
of utter integrity required
of you over some matter —

a moment when you were
confronted with a very
clear choice knowing you
stood convicted either way

and that the way of integrity
was clear as a bell? One
way, you give in and all
goes well; the other way,

all hell could break loose
but you know in your heart
of hearts that that is
the only way of truth.

Have you ever been
confronted by such a
choice or have you only
wished in your dreams

for “the best of times,
…the worst of times,
…the age of wisdom,
…the age of foolish-

ness, …the epoch of
belief, …the epoch
of incredulity, …
the season of Light, …

the season of Darkness,
…the spring of hope,
…the winter of despair,
we had everything before us,

we had nothing before us,
we were all going direct to
heaven, we were all going
direct the other way –

in short, the period was
so far like the present
period, that…” it is
this moment? Do you ever

wish for the clarity of
that observation in which
to make the decision?
You read it in high school.

It is still around. It
said so itself: the period
was so far like the present
period, that…here it is.

It was the best of times;
it was the worst of times;
it is the opportune time;
this time, right now.