10.01.2008

We think we know . . .

Have you seen a child cry?
Have you ever been alone?
Have you ever wished you might die
In a single moan?

Have you ever been rejected?
Left out on the street
Have you never had a friend
Who turned on you to cheat?

Have you heard your parents fighting
Like there is no end
Have you never wondered
If you’ll make it ‘round the bend?

Have you ever had a broken heart
Beating, thrown away
Felt it being torn apart?
Hoping for one day

Have you seen an orphan
Sitting by a can
Wondering where family is
Captured in that white van

Have you ever known an addict?
Ever seen the pain
Ever wanted to help out
If there was a way

Has there ever been a day
Where there was no food?
Or maybe the worst for you
Is just a terrible mood

We think we’ve been dealt
The worst of life
But have you been threatened
With a knife?

Life's been blown away
We say
But some have only one way
For today

Don’t you see what hate can do?
Even to just a few
Don’t you see that selfishness
Can ruin not only you?

Can’t you see that we can make
Even a better world
If we just stopped to take
One look

One look at what
We might have missed

(feel free to comment!)

23 comments:

~Silver said...

Beautiful...
You really have a way with words, and this poem flowed like silk...
Just beautiful...

Kileigh said...

That was truly beautiful and amazing.

And it was about real issues, that no one really takes time to look at. Poets usually focus on the 'positive' things in live more so than the not-so-good/bumpy road ones.

I loved your poem.
I hope it gets published someday so everyone in the world reads it :)

Kyle Hendricks said...

Wow, that was amazing!
=)

Romans 12:2 said...

That's awsome! Great post. Selfishness or pride is the root of all those problems. Think of how different the world would be if everyone thought of his neighbor before himself. - Bob

Karen Adams said...

Beautiful poem! We often do not take the time to be grateful for the things we DO have and how lucky we have been. We need to be compassionate and empathetic towards others, because you never know what they are going through.

Unknown said...

This is great. I'm usually not to excited about poetry, but this is exactly what the whole world needs to turn to.
Not their greed for power and prestige.

Vivian aka Deborah said...

You have some really great thoughts and lines in this poem.
It covers a lot of today's issues.
Strong and convicting. You are smart beyond your years and you have a big heart. This is evident in your writing. As with any poem, a poem is never finished. It's good to let it rest a while and then come back to it for some editing. For instants...in some lines you write "Have you seen" and in other lines "have you ever seen" and I wondered if you had a specific rhythm going on in your mind. Also, your rhyme scheme changes throughout the poem...like: in stanza 1, you have an abab scheme and then in stanza 2, you have abcb. And stanza 7 seems to be all over the place, needs better line breaks. Of cos I only mention these things to help your poetry. Don't know if you have seen my message where I told you about a few poetry workshops....did you? They have helped me tremendously. I am still learning. One good site is King Poets.com....and that one is free! Another one is the Bulldog Poetry workshop.com....that one is down right now due to a rebuild of the site. If you'd like to know more about them....feel free to ask me. It's great to get feed back on how to better your poems.

The photo you posted along side this poem is perfect! You took that? It represents the poem nicely.

Good job!

Bronte said...

yes this one deffinately made me think.
its beautiful.
and but really sad at the sme time
that we even have to write about things like that...

Elizabeth said...

Hi, I'm back and I love your poem. Yes, I have thought of all of those things a lot.

Very moving.
Elizabeth

milai said...

Simply beautiful... and moving.

Most people think they have the worst of luck. Or life is very cruel. I used to think the same way. That is, until I realized that I am blessed.

So the next time I complain that it's too cold, I think of the homeless... or when I think that my day is crappy because it's a manic work day, I think of the jobless...

When complaint is at the tip of my tongue, I thus focus on what I have.

I may not have gourmet food, but hey, I eat three times a day (sometimes more). There are people out there who barely have enough or are not eating at all...

It is not the world or life that is cruel. It is people.

And sometimes, apathy is worse than cruelty.

And so we must all wake up from our deep slumber of indifference and start caring for others for after all, our lives are interwoven.

keep on writing. :)

Anonymous said...

that was wonderful.
you are amazing at this =]

i loved it <3

-amy

PhilO♥ said...

omg!! i just love your poem! it's so touching and it's really very noce!!

? said...

After reading this, I immediately thought of the followingh question: whether the decision to have a child is a selfish act or not? Whether we're not all brought up in this world to be selfish?
I have noticed the more selfless I am the more I suffer, the more good I am the more I'm hit, the more just and fair I try to be to others the more stupid they think you are and the more they hurt you. We live in a very wicked or should I say evil world, although, each time I get hit and brought down it strenghtens me but must I keep returning to those who I know have hurt me and want to keep hurting me, who clearly hate me for whatever reason, must I keep returning to them, supporting and helping them, sometimes with my last? Perhaps I'm just an embodiment of the idiot according to Deutovsky!

Mariposa I dont know how you do it but that is what came to my head immediately I read this post...I felt it...

jEeRo said...

hEy
thkx for your lovely comment =)
your poem speaks volume on the issues every country is facin..n some more than the others..they used to say 'money is the root for all evil'..but i think human beings r..cuz human beings r the ones usin money..get the drift?..

griffinrider said...

that poem's amazing! unfortunately, i do feel that i relate to some of the things it was talking about. you have such an amazing talent. never stop writing.

Jaerixon said...

Red Eyes, I don't know if you will ever get around to reading this, but I know what you are talking about. The world is very competitive, especially here in the US, as we are capitalists. However, the American public has been trained to be "nice to each other" to create a society in which the weak can flourish along with the strong. I for one believe that this technique is making our citizens as whole, weaker. This idea of "nice" tells us that we shouldn't speak our mind and that even if we see a problem in somebody or something; we should not criticize and rebuke it, but should let it continue because acting otherwise would be “mean”. Today, the children who grew up to adulthood with these ideas in their head do not stand up for their beliefs even when they see it and know there is something better. Take our public schooling system for instance, there is much much much more money spent to help the kids that are struggling than money invested to propel the kids who are smart. Look up the statistics for how much tax money goes to prisons, impoverished countries, the homeless, and the mentally ill. After a while, it all really starts to add up. When people act in a “nice” way, some people will return the favor and also act nice. However, there are those who see this as an opportunity to excel. Some people see this as a sign of weakness. Now at this point you are probably saying to yourself, “Wow this guy must be a real jerk”. In reality, we are all competing against each other to win. “Win in what?” you might ask. The first that will come to mind is school, jobs, and money, but people also strive to have the most friends, be the most liked, be the most respected, be the smartest, be the best, etc. In present society, too many people blame the rest of society for picking on them, for being mean, or cruel, or harsh. The truth of the matter is, these people are winning. They are getting what they want, and they are taking it from you because you are too “nice” to challenge them. So what do I say? Be strong, be courageous, do not forget that life in this country is a constant competition to succeed, and if you are weak, if you let others beat you and cheat you and get your spirits down, you will lose.

loony lyssie said...

Wow that was... beautiful.
It is amazing.
Makes me think about how I overreact over everything that happens.
You are always an inspiration, Mariposa!

Unknown said...

Thank you! I like your profile too!

? said...

Stong point Jaerixon...

Very good point.

But what do you do when others continuously cheat you whilst hiding under the cloak of being your blood...do you walk away, cut off or initiate a feud? I hope you will see why I am an idiot? Or so they think:) I am sure your answer will be interesting and very useful...

Jaerixon said...

I would be glad to answer your question Red Eyes, but I'm a little confused about your question. If you can explain it a little better, I promise to answer as best as I can. :P

? said...

jaerixon, you are a good philosopher just like our friend maripossa. I'm checking out your blog.

Twisting by said...

thanks for the comments!
this is reallllly good. it flows nicely and mentions so many important world 'issues'

joanah marie said...

nice poem.. you're really good in weaving words..i like it.wish i could write something like this..