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It's in the little moments
It's in the grand schemes
In galaxies, as well as the life story of each sand grain,
It drives some insane, it keeps some in their lane, it leads some to abstain
Me? I'm learning to let it be

It's in the finest times of my life
It's in my biggest picture, and in every plot in between
I garden with it, I eat with it
I love the space it makes, I hate the spaces it makes
I am of the spaces it makes, and I'll make a space too

"LIVE" it says, "I am on my way..."

WHAT IS IT?

Clues...

It is tangible, yet not itself material.

It carries mystery, yet is itself strikingly empirical.

~~~

It is truly an in between, making it hard to guess.

It is an inherent part of life, and puts every one to rest.

The title is a stretch in terms of a clue, and came as mere muse to me in a mystical mindset. You needn't explain it to identify it. All other parts of a poem fit it fairly well I think. In due time, I'll add another two lines (clues) to the poem, which hint much more clearly at the solution.

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  • $\begingroup$ ... Destiny! :) $\endgroup$
    – KeyboardWielder
    May 11, 2016 at 19:49
  • $\begingroup$ Slightly less ambiguous than that, @KeyboardWielder. Nice try. Sounds like an answer by the way, maybe make it >! one $\endgroup$
    – cr0
    May 11, 2016 at 20:11
  • $\begingroup$ Sorry I may not have been clear enough about the raw tangibility of this immaterial thing - important clues, which I have now added. $\endgroup$
    – cr0
    May 12, 2016 at 13:10
  • $\begingroup$ Added two more lines to the poem which should help immensely, with the last word redacted as it would practically give the answer away. Also noted the title was merely muse, and particularly muse to a mystical mindset, which may be required to see the answer as well fit to this poem as I. $\endgroup$
    – cr0
    May 13, 2016 at 19:12
  • $\begingroup$ filled in the blank for the poetic clues, that should help $\endgroup$
    – cr0
    May 17, 2016 at 16:39

5 Answers 5

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I would personally go with :

Death

mostly thanks to your latest hints.

The one clue that put me on this track is : "LIVE" it says, "I am on my way...". For me this doesn't fit the concept of a process like aging or growing, but rather an inevitability. Something that is part of everyone's life (this excludes illnesses like cancer). Death is a universal constant, is empirically evident and everyone will experience it. It is shrouded in the mystery of the beyond and creates empty spaces in people's lives.

Although I'm having a hard time interpreting this clue:

I garden with it, I eat with it

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  • $\begingroup$ Very good! This is the correct answer I had intended and written the poems about. I admired a cat's behavior and recognized that the fine moment in its life would inevitably end, as would my own. $\endgroup$
    – cr0
    May 17, 2016 at 21:59
  • $\begingroup$ What do you eat that does not come with the death of something? How have you ever gardened without death; the ending of rocks to become soils, the ending of living creatures to contribute to organic matter/compost/fertilizer... Does that make sense? $\endgroup$
    – cr0
    May 17, 2016 at 21:59
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    $\begingroup$ There's also a parallel that may be found if not intended: plots as in cemetery plots. Additionally, cats mythically have nine lives, so they would experience this multiple times. Re: moments. $\endgroup$
    – feelinferrety
    May 19, 2016 at 1:07
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    $\begingroup$ @cr0: As a poem in a mystic mindset, I appreciate your ideas. But as a puzzle, it was perhaps difficult to arrive at that as a conclusive answer, while ruling out other answers. $\endgroup$
    – KeyboardWielder
    May 19, 2016 at 17:45
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    $\begingroup$ Oh, thought it might have been "patience" $\endgroup$
    – nine9
    May 20, 2016 at 12:33
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This isn't really an answer, more an observation that I'm putting here rather than in a comment because I can use spoiler blocks here:

It seems like a pun on "mew"/"mu" is involved. $\mu$ is traditionally used to denote a coefficient of friction (hence the old not very funny physicists' joke: Two cats are sliding down a roof; which will last longest before it falls off? The one with the higher $\mu$) as well as various other things in physics; and it would explain the friction in the title as well as "it came as mere muse to me".

I'm not sure this has anything much to do with the actual answer, though; cr0 seems to be indicating that it's not highly relevant.

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  • $\begingroup$ Your observations are correct. Most importantly, that the title is not highly relevant. I think the title could only make sense after the riddle has been solved, and even then it may only hold meaning to me who experienced the musing moment with a mystical mindset. $\endgroup$
    – cr0
    May 12, 2016 at 16:30
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    $\begingroup$ Might be of interest: puzzling.stackexchange.com/questions/18518/do-i-hear-a-cat $\endgroup$
    – GentlePurpleRain
    May 13, 2016 at 21:42
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Very partial answer :

I think it's related to atoms or ions : "cat" in the title actually refers to "cation", and atomic friction does exist ; atoms / ions are in everything, so it explains the 1st paragraph, with the 2 last lines concerning their movement ? Then for the 2nd paragraph, all the things with "space" could refer to the space between atoms, etc.

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  • $\begingroup$ Great interpretation, though not my intended answer. I'd almost have to give it to you, but it still falls short of at least one clue - the quote with regards to it: "LIVE" it says, "I am on my way..." Though, with a mystical mind (which may be needed for this riddle anyway), one could make this fit. $\endgroup$
    – cr0
    May 12, 2016 at 13:12
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Probably wrong but, here's my attempt are you:

Faith

It's in the little moments

All the same things that happen in life form 1 big thing.

It's in the grand schemes

The grand plot of your life.

In galaxies, as well as the life story of each sand grain,

Faith is everywhere, each sand grain has to be in the right place to make the right thing happen. In space and far far away in the galaxy something might happen also because of faith!

It drives some insane, it keeps some in their lane, it leads some to abstain

Some people go nuts over faith and some ignore it/ don't believe in it.

Me? I'm learning to let it be

I'm just letting thing happen the way they are.

It's in the finest times of my life

George Mueller – “I have joyfully dedicated my whole life to the object of exemplifying how much may be accomplished by prayer and faith.”

It's in my biggest picture, and in every plot in between

Faith is the big picture to us all. What happens to everyone else and the world itself. But also in every small issue and thing for our own.

I garden with it, I eat with it

Faith is in everything, you eat because it's chosen you ate, garden, driver a car, walk in a pile of poo, everything you do is called upon by faith.

I love the space it makes, I hate the spaces it makes I am of the spaces it makes, and I'll make a space too

This answer could be improved feel free: According to faith, faith creates everything and makes everything happen, the good and the bad things in life. You make space and I make space too. I'm in the space that is made by faith.

Hint 1:

"LIVE" it says, "I am on my way..."
==> HERE
I'm on my way here - Ryan Tedder? Which sings about faith.

Clues:

1)

It is tangible, yet not itself material. ==> Faith isn't material.

2)

It carries mystery, yet is itself strikingly empirical. ==> Faith is mysterious since none knows what will happen.

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  • $\begingroup$ Nice interpretation, but incorrect answer. Faith is not material, but is it tangible or less ambiguous than the answer of Desinty? Faith is certainly mysterious, but is it strikingly empirical? Faith is forever a mystery, to be doubted by some and believed in by others by their own faith itself. $\endgroup$
    – cr0
    May 12, 2016 at 13:07
  • $\begingroup$ @cr0 I'll keep searching :) I must find it! $\endgroup$
    – Decypher
    May 12, 2016 at 13:32
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Balance!

Balance is one of the things that holds every living thing including galaxies and sand grain!

It does make people insane when they come in touch with a balanced soul and it puts one in envy immediately, for some it serves as an inspiration and hence motivate them to gain it! Since it's another energy really, I would let it be and let it do its job!

With balance within situations turn out to be ideal and favourable as it gives a unique strength to manipulate if necessary and let it be given one the wisdom to choose former or the latter depending on the situation!

It surely helps the person tapping into it and it helps keep a space with other people who sometimes are too smart for Google to handle!

Within it lives and outside its shown, what it does inside materialises outside helping one be a creator of his/her own space!

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  • $\begingroup$ What causes the spoiler to barf like this? I can't seem to fix it. $\endgroup$
    – Chris Cudmore
    May 17, 2016 at 17:04
  • $\begingroup$ I too have no clue, it happening only on this page!! Any suggestions on your end!!?? $\endgroup$
    – Bipin Chandra
    May 17, 2016 at 17:24
  • $\begingroup$ It's happened to me before as well. No idea. $\endgroup$
    – Chris Cudmore
    May 17, 2016 at 17:36
  • $\begingroup$ The answer which the poem is based on, and which is far more fitting I think, is far more grim than this. $\endgroup$
    – cr0
    May 17, 2016 at 19:28
  • $\begingroup$ @cr0 if I have to add few perceptives, I would go with death and birth cycle to restore balance!! An old moment should die for the new experience to be born, old plant must die for a new seed to reap, so I thought balance is the cause for death and birth effect!! Will wait to see the right answer surely a deep riddle, just wondering away to find the right word u r looking for :) $\endgroup$
    – Bipin Chandra
    May 18, 2016 at 1:03

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