Purpose

Now there’s a thought:

Is there purpose without planning or does planning make a purpose?

Kind of a “does a bear shit in the woods if you don’t see it” kind of scenario. And that’s basically where this took me.  

...Thank you and goodnight. 🤣

-M

That is not purpose as I know it (Jim); that is causality and function. Bears shit the woods regardless, real question is: why does a catholic want to be the pope?

Life is as you say, a travel, not a destination: only going to get some idea if you move but even then nothing says you won't just end up right where you started.

It echoes volumes that I was inspired enough by the others, and by the theme, to make/craft/smush two poems in one day.

Since the journey of a 1,000 miles starts with a single step, this poem has a lot going for it  :))

See that assumes a journey, a destination, and plenty of steps. Personally I have found it can be a case of bumbling around in circles in the sand; no clear destination or mark of any passage or progress!

"The Science of Muddling Through" (ref:  Charles E. Lindblom Source: Public Administration Review, Vol. 19, No. 2 (Spring, 1959), pp. 79-88 ) - has a long an illustrious history   :))
... and anyone who believes they "have a clear plan" and are going to fulfill it, is probably deluded. Besides, progress is not linear - it's cyclical - as the human race will find out when all the technological fixes start to bite back seriously. There is no such thing as a side-effect - only effects. (part of my thinking for a book on technology, currently being drafted)

Often it seems those with a clear vision and clear direction are either pushing the envelope and ahead of their time or a storm that will shake history in the worst way.
Sometimes it seems that side-stepping is simply the best thing to do, rather than break through or break against a wall!

I agree. Clarity can serve both good and evil. Currently the 'Technological Project' to 'control Nature' (and by default humans too, since we are part of Nature and natural cycles) is steaming ahead without any ability (so it seems) to say 'no' to certain developments. When it comes to technology, "can = ought" seems to be the ruling paradigm - which is dangerous and may well "shake history in the worst way" as you say.

It is somewhat a case of having all the world at your fingertips but no will and heart to go with it. Currently I would say that technology is still at major odds with nature: yes there are steps made towards green energy, but widespread tech still relies on harnessing materials, minerals and ores and not re-used and re-cycled to their full potential.

"The world at your fingertips" -, you're right, that's been the attitude for the last 3-400 years, a notion also from Heidegger and the word "bestand" (everything on tap) from his extended essay "The Question concerning Technology" (Die Frage nach der Technik).
I think that's the mindset of a human 'nature' at odds with Nature Herself (and humans at odds with themselves) - and hence the exploitative technologies we currently have - which also exploit humans, all intertwined with the Capitalist process of feeding the game of musical chairs, otherwise known as money-as-debt-plus-interest. There have to be losers on a regular basis.

I decided today to do a comp on Technology which you can find here:
https://deepundergroundpoetry.com/forum/competitions/read/11239/

and my own posting on the subject here:
https://deepundergroundpoetry.com/poems/372009-simulator-failure/

LOL! Josh took my quote!  This encapsulates that perfectly, Viddax!