aridity in the garden

the good goes hand in hand
with the bad
like the rocky coast
where the sea meets the land,
the warm breeze blowing fall leaves
into winter's icy hand

the good goes hand in hand
with the bad
education with depression,
adventure with folly,
feast with famine
bloody thorn with pretty women,
aridity with verdantry,
arrogance with success
wine's flight with the dregs of excess

the good goes hand in hand
with the bad
and we live our lives
as best we might:
journeys that never arrive
the picture being never quite right