The Work of Love
the never-before-seen job description
A poem for myself, and perhaps you, too. xox M
The Work of Love
Looking for meaningful work?
Look no further!
You will plan, lead,
direct, develop, and coordinate
nothing;
you will facilitate no consensus,
incentivize no objective,
expedite no output,
organize no system;
you will oversee no one,
report to no one,
ensure no timely deliveries,
conduct no regular evaluations.
The work of love
will not involve
talking points, grand plans,
better ideas, or creative solutions.
You will do the work of love
without a pulpit, temple,
or microphone
in front of
no audience, group,
or followers;
in fact, the work of love
is always done alone.
Intrigued?
See if you’re a good fit!
To do the work of love,
you’ll need:
no certificate, license,
degree, or accreditation;
no portfolio, publications,
credits, or body of work;
no intellect, knowledge,
judgment, or expertise;
no special training, skills,
talent, or proficiency;
no uniform, vestments,
business casual, or yoga pants;
and no ability to,
on occasion,
lift up to twenty-five pounds.
Permission and perfection
are neither required
nor recommended;
humility, however,
is a plus,
as is courage.
Still interested?
Read on!
The work of love pays
no salary or monetary benefits,
nothing over or under the table;
no dividends, stock options,
in-kind awards, or stipends;
no fame, recognition,
credit, or tangible reward
will ever be bestowed upon you.
There is no time-clock to punch;
there is no overtime,
time-and-a-half,
golden hour,
or holidays;
the work of love never ceases;
it is done in every moment,
constantly,
instantly,
eternally,
and forever.
Are you in?
Here’s how to apply!
Just descend into the heart
of your being, settle in
and down
to the bright diamond cave
lit with invisible sun,
open to you always,
waiting for you always:
the place beyond words,
beyond reason
where you and your soul
merge, reuniting
in the pure truth of love.
That’s it! You’re hired!
To stay employed, it’s this simple:
Visit there.
Go back soon.
Do that again. And again.
Keep carving a path to
your heart sanctuary, until
this place that’s been waiting for you,
this place you’ve carried
since before you were born,
becomes you,
becomes one,
becomes the love
you’ve been searching for.
Have you guessed? Yes!
This is a work-from-home job!
Your true home. Welcome.
Dwell here.
Take calls from here.
Respond to requests from here.
View the surrounding landscape,
the pain and suffering of the world,
the improbable mathematics of existence,
the insoluble dilemmas of humanity,
from here.
Find peace here.
Find hope here.
Find rest here.
Sound easy?
It is… and it’s not!
The work of love
is the most demanding job
you’ll ever find
and few who take it up
can stay with it
breath to breath
day after day
in the face of injustice,
lies, hatred, and betrayal.
Yet babies do it
effortlessly
and dogs are quite good at it,
too.
“What’s in it for me,” you ask?
That’s up to you!
It may be a fool’s mission,
a forfeit of the weak;
it may be a sham,
a waste of time;
or it may be
the singular,
narrow path
to true freedom,
joy that has eluded you,
and actual heaven on earth.
Quit any time;
come back any time.
No judgment.
No questions asked.
Are you ready for the job of a lifetime…
and beyond? Apply now!*
The work of love is waiting.
LOVEly and wise and welcome.
The work of love takes a lifetime, it will challenge us, reward us, upend us, deepen and open us.
Maybe in the end, it's the only work worth doing. Fortunately it announces itself in a myriad of ways, like this poem.
Thank you for the elevation and grounding at once. You're a love, Mary.
xoxo
Wonderful Mary. The poem made me smile and the small print at the bottom made me laugh!
I am a recently converted fan of Nietszche (as in i had never read him before). The ubermensch concept may be a little strong for some, but man he understood fearless commitment to freedom!
And also the overblown orientation to certificates, periodical reports et al.
I’d like to sign up for the job you are offering. I do have a question though - how big is the company?