antiphony of cynicism and sentimentality

Time and Tide wait for no man.
They are too busy: softening or sharpening; destroying and creating; tailoring or uniforming. They take on environment, societies, the mind and sensibilities.
You know it’s true. The stream that ran by the house curves more. The swimming-hole shale bank becomes sandy. The arguments you had over philosophies less important. The vows you made from your sensibilities less resolved.
The rock-n-roll-wild-child into Eastern-philosophy and free love, now married, 3 kids, Christian and republican. The environmentalist-activist-actor-vegetarian doing quite well in the 9-5 meat flavored world. The crazy morbid poet no longer writes much (in ink or blood) wears colors works for the capitalists and has cultivated a healthy relationship.

Just used people being recycled.

We have all used people
but it's hardly ever the ones that accuse us of it. It's usually the grateful ones. The ones who don't care if they are being used because that is what they want you to do. Some are like that with everyone, but most unfold like flowers for a specific light. There is something about you, the situation, the moment. Something that draws them in. Opening them up to this form of relationship. It's not just the beautiful or powerful. It doesn’t only happen for the charismatic personalities or confidence artists.
I have used the hopeful. Those clingy ones you feel sorry for or placate their persistence with your presence. You never saw yourself as better till they insisted you were, you are, you must be. Aware or not eventually you will use these people.
Just as they are using you. Perhaps it would be better to think of it as borrowing each other.
We have all been used.
But when the borrowing goes to far. When the gods we have created no longer shine their blinding lights down on us. When the light dims and the warmth dissipated and we still stand there being borrowed but no longer open. Then we feel the use. Then we call it being used. We accuse them when it was up to us from the start. They did not jump up on that pedestal they did not force us to open to them. No one has so much power that we do not still make the choice.
So I cannot say I have been used in that sense. Every time I have been borrowed I have borrowed too. I could never blame someone. I have never cried out in anger that I was being used. And with time softening it all I cannot even remember if I ever felt used by the time the end came. It was always a choice. It was always mutual abuse of borrowing power. When it is that type of relationship, you need each other. What are the faithful without their god? What is a god without their faithful?