Resilience

How much akin are we
to the inorganic physical property
that once bent out of shape
is able to rebound, return
to its original shape, unless
its temper, its ability to absorb
considerable energy or compressive stress
results in its cracking or destruction.

Are we, as organic beings then too
as resilient, able to snap back from
adversity, physical illness, emotional hurts,
to rapidly regain our buoyancy, liveliness,
vigor and energy, our sprightliness and spirit
after having run the gauntlet of negative impact
upon our system, or was our experience so severe,
so overbearing that our system could not cope
thus resulting in permanent physical, emotional damage
or, in extreme cases, ultimate destruction.

Our scientists and engineers have found
dozens of ways for calibrating the physical properties
of thousands of objects, many through non destructive testing
thus providing an almost exact index as to
the item's tensile strengths and numerous other characteristics
yet at this stage, where can one go to get a measure of
a personal index to one's own scale of resiliency,
as far as I know, I am sorry to say,
there is no such place, it is up to each individual person.

Herbert Holzbauer
March 2001

Midi: "Berlinintherain"
Composer: Bert Hilby