I went in search of myself

This is a collection of poetry written for the end of days. Both in the practical sense of writing at the end of the day, in contemplating particular events or circumstances, and in the apocalyptic sense. In these writings I sought to examine my own thoughts about life, death, time, eternity and the divine, as well as the past, culture and its survival and decay, even thought itself. To write on such far ranging topics may seem incongruent, yet it seems to me that these ideas are always bubbling under the surface. And if they are not, they should be present somehow. Since everything from the mundane to the most profound notions have such wide ranging consequences, they should always be active in every aspect of our lives. For if they are not, then we are conceding the most important questions to an unknown author, when we should be deciding for ourselves how our lives should be constructed, how it is we are to live and die together. Without a thorough analysis of our lives and how they fit into the world, from neighbourhood to nation, we cannot come to understand ourselves as individuals, or as members of our communities. - Paul Brenner 2023