unity not uniformity

What business have alike to love?

Same mind, same soul,

no wrinkle of dislike at all

to ruffle quiet waters of equality.

Alike in liking find smooth path of love,

same preference, same kind.

One flesh, one mind, one all.

No barriers to blind, to wrench, to maul.

Uniform. They lightly tread quotidian jaunt,

the worst dismay a pause –

before concord resumes, rewards

their complimentary wills with easy certainty.

Unlike unliking found, 'in love'.

Their disparate tongues at ready to disgorge

10 things on each, strong tributes to discord.

100 items of conflicting bias,

1, 000 moments “sent to try us”.

Unlike resemble not a restful lake,

more, troubled sea, conflicting tides,

vast breakers, magnetised

by different moons, near different suns,

alien planets inhabited by different souls,

with different minds, of different kinds.

Competing currents, dangerous reefs,

all threaten to unship this passionate crew,

navigating life's passage to the end

of the world where everything unlike,

alike, will be made new.

Not newly uniform, but united, all love requited.

The fight is tougher for unlike to face,

the trophies greater, a richer taste of grace.

From strife, risk, chance, pain,

comes not like, but love;

the just reward, the sweetest gain.