Utopia is close my dear,
closer than you think, but
it’s neither land of plenty
nor a constant struggle.
It’s neither dream nor for real.
It’s neither rain nor sunshine.
Utopia is close my dear,
it’s just another heartbeat
from the perfect day you never
noticed when it passed
the day you almost fell in love,
the day you didn’t get a raise
but met with friends instead,
an almost ordinary day…
if you only saw its luster.
Utopia is close my dear
you only have to listen for its scent
of sandalwood and attar,
or breathe a bit before you leave.
Utopia is the place you passed
when searching for perfection.
Cornucopia by Damien Hirst
Amaya want’s us to write about Utopia at dVerse. Write about your paradise, somewhere close or very far away, a place of your dreams or something real. For me Paradise is a place we spend too much time looking for.
—
November 6, 2018
Björn Rudbergs writings 
Oh my! So much TRUTH in that last line! Perfect!
We just have to look… paradise is a shadow we cast right behind us.
That third stanza and last couplet are sheer beauty and truth. Sometimes it is just under our noses, often taken for granted.
I think so too… we miss what’s right in front of us.
Too right….
A salutary reminder. We just need to look, and we’ll find it.
Your pragmatism is enviable, yet the poets of yore always yearned for the undiscovered country, the unreachable star. Like you, I found it necessary to slow down, to look down, and savor small victories.
Oh my – you hit the nail on the head with that ending. Perfection blinds us from Utopia – love it.
I am convicted in reading this. Even while writing a poem, I am ever reaching for perfection, the craft of it never complete. Even to think of publishing something not quite done to my standard gives me anxiety and self-deprecating thoughts. I think the successful people do not have this inhibition and act on the wisdom found in your poem.
I think you’re right. There is no such thing as perfection, and we are never satisfied with what we’ve got. Utopia is a place of the greatest good for the greatest number. Or is that Communism?
I think that what is lacking in communism is the understanding that most people are much more willing to cooperate for just being part and included.
Yes, coercion shouldn’t be part of the deal.
Great use of repetition and contrasts, Björn, and you really get your message across in this poem. I agree:
‘Utopia is the place you passed
when searching for perfection’.
“it’s just another heartbeat
from the perfect day you never
noticed when it passed”
and that last wonderful line!
After George’s 6 minute cardiac arrest in October 2013….we’ve often said, “boring is wonderful.” I think that kind of flows with what you’re saying here. Just enjoy the mundane — thankful for every day. 🙂
Oh, well penned! So much truth in that last stanza
I love the idea that utopia is within reach depending on one’s mindset. The things we pass everyday is the utopia we are missing. The bird, the butterfly, the flower, the leaf.. all around us!
I really like this. Yes, I really do! We miss it!
utopia is what we passed and went unnoticed in pursuit of utopia, a conundrum of life – this is truth at the bottom of a bottle – I really liked this one Bjorn
I couldn’t agree more – Love seeing myself reflected on your page, I’m feeling a little presumptuous in expecting to take this as a compliment ! But it makes me very happy to come across the occasional complement. Great last lines.
I really like that second stanza, especially “that perfect day you never noticed when it passed.” There are a lot of “almosts” in life.
Love this. I like the idea of Utopia as something reachable, as ordinary as a beautiful happy day if only we have the eyes to see it.
it’s just another heartbeat
from the perfect day you never
noticed when it passed
Loved this Bjorn. So many times the genuine simple pleasures, the ones that nurture and sustain us daily in our life, often slip by us while we are pursuing the “grande joie”. How sad we don’t notice… 😦
…rob from image-verse.com
A beautiful parable of the significance of acceptance. Love the repetition!
I’m loving the proximity of this Utopia