Listen, says the mystic,
The erudite have learned
What the wise already know.
You cannot have it both ways;
You are either inclusive of others,
Or exclusion is your energy.
Either you are exclusive,
Or you work toward inclusion.
You cannot include who you exclude.
© 2025 Tristan Robert Lange. All rights reserved.
First published on tristanrobertlange.com, November 11, 2025.
Tittu
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Author:
Tristan Robert Lange (
Online) - Published: November 11th, 2025 08:55
- Comment from author about the poem: I’m now published in an anthology featuring authors from across the Poconos, PA. All proceeds benefit the Pocono Liars Club — a collective of authors and editors dedicated to supporting and mentoring local writers. Available in paperback and Kindle, please consider purchasing one and supporting a great cause. https://a.co/d/58uxM69
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Comments7
A philosophical gordian knot. The picture you posted looked like two eggs. The other day an egg I was making was dark navy blue inside and fell into three others in the bowel. It being included could no longer be excluded so I threw the whole mess out. A great read my friend and a fave
Ha! That’s a wild story, Soren…even your egg turned into a parable of inclusion and chaos. Love that you saw the humor and the truth in it. 🪶⚫⚪🕯️
Fantastic
Thank you, Thomas! And Happy Birthday to you too!, Much appreciated, my friend! 🪶⚫⚪🕯️
Good write T.
Now look Popeye - it's either 'A' for you, or it's 'A' for you. There's only 'A' to choose. What is 'A' we ask? Don't answer that, but it's Popeye's occupation for 23 hrs 59 mins each day! lol.
I dunno how I think up this rubbish! heehee.
Thankyou, Orchi. And dang...there he goes again. Always, erm, insterting himself where he doesn't belong! 🤣 Popeye’s occupation remains classified—glug glug! 🪶⚫⚪🕯️
It's not either/or for Ol'Tom and Co - it's both. Both of what? Don't answer that! lol.
But most people are! Some people include certain but not others and I think that's where the wrongfulness begins. There's a theory that if you hate every race, you're not racist because you treat them all the same...
Spot on, 🥷. Inclusion isn’t a loophole in hate...it’s the undoing of it. You’ve summed up the world’s paradox in one line. 🪶⚫⚪🕯️ As for that theory...or it makes you more racist than anyone else in the history of racism...I see it as multiplying one's racism, not canceling it out. Still, one thing is undeniably certain...it would make you an all out hater, hands down! 🤣 Thanks again, my dear friend, for your time and your thoughts!
Ha, ha, yes! I think it was developed by someone who only liked their own race... Always a pleasure to read your poetry!
Haha! Clearly it must have been! 🤣 Thank you, my friend. Always a pleasure to be read and to have your insights added is even better! Much appreciated!
The good are included, the bad excluded.
Though many a time I was included, I sort of wished for my street cred to be excluded.
Brilliant as ever, Paul. You twist paradox into punchline like no one else. Street cred be damned...you’re included either way. 🪶⚫⚪🕯️
Moral mirror with no hedging. A fave.
No hedging, indeed. Thank you so much, my dear friend… glad it delivered, especially knowing your deeply philosophical mind. Much appreciated! 🪶⚫⚪🕯️
yes indeed , you cannot always sit on the fence...well said
Amen! Truth. Thank you, my dear friend! Much appreciated.
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