Quality

Of all the words that have come down,

Coerced our lips to say its sound;

Quality is the “best” that’s found,

Describing the characteristic of excellence itself.

As a form takes shape and some character,

As experience experiences, experience’s nectar,

As the soul realizes Beauty’s splendor,

Quality is at play.

Hot, cold, good or bad;

Right, wrong, happy, sad,

Yin, yang, mellow or mad,

are descriptions of Quality.

What is it to have Quality?

Just one side of a duality?

Perhaps some hope of value in Reality?

Does it really exist at all?

Does Quality exist beyond our mind?

Do we project it on all we find?

Can form take meaning if our consciousness is blind?

Is Quality a figment of our imagination?

Tao, Logos, God, Awareness;

Essence, substance, injustice or fairness;

Number, shape, fullness or bareness,

Quality dipping in and out of existence.

Aesthetics tastes try to define it,

Boards set standards and governments enforce it,

We all have criteria and try to qualify it,

Because Quality of life is our goal.

Quality, O Quality, Beauty of Beauties, most high,

Standards of standards, value of values, the who, how and why:

It is You we long for, for You we try,

For without You there would be no worth.