No Mans’s Island

No man is an island wrote Donne

centuries ago.

He understood the predicament

understood

than man, or wo-man

is one part

of a whole

which is one part

of something larger

and so on

into mind-blowing infinity.

No man, or wo-man can stand alone

and reach their potential 

in isolation

or when isolated

on some small island 

however grandiose

the delusion.

And a small island cannot thrive.

if it makes its sea an impenetrable wall

to protect it from the to-ing and fro-ing

of all but but the tides

it will stagnate

sink into decay

turn in on itself

until the walls

are broken

and the seeds 

set free to fly away.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1569158