A Good Idea

am I carrying non-judgmental too far
with myself I mean of course with others
it's a good idea at least up to a point
let them do what they like but some are
bad hurt others or at least self-destructive
you ought to say something about that

and personally I could have done better
I mean we were seriously fucked up in
the sixties I don't want to regret anything
but face it how could I think straight
live intelligibly in the only world staying
up all night smoking pot listening to Mahler

don't mention it it's just behavior like
any other that's what I mean we knew
and didn't know what we were doing
making it up as if from scratch that is
with no technique you learn eventually
but then it's too late your life is over

of course everyone said I shouldn't
or would have if I had let them but I
couldn't hear them it was what was
happening I wanted to be young it
was a way of seeming to stop time
good to know time is entirely elastic