Bricks

Attempting to make my voice meet metal. Someday I'll catch on.

When I huddled freezing in ice and snow

without shelter or coat or fire

you remodeled your kitchen for the tenth time

not happy with the ecru paint and expensive drapes.

When I wandered in an unknown and strange land

besieged by bullets, land mines and firestorms

you complained there was nothing stimulating

or entertaining in your two hundred tv channels.

When I was a starving child in a diseased land

belly bloated watching family drop like flies

you drowned your latest crisis of the moment

in a tub of Ben and Jerry's with Hershey's syrup.

When I found myself trampled and bleeding

protesting for a better world and for human rights

you whined about furs and non-organic farming--

self-satisfied with your mis-guided effort.

When I died alone, abject, abused

you toasted your latest promotion and bigger paycheck

planning for newer, bigger luxuries;

forgetting even your self-righteous gestures.

 

Reviews

[Solst Rapture]

Emily, I am very proud. This is a fantastic non-sympathetic, moral and ethically challenging piece of writing. It reads seamlessly and resonates an integral and honest humanitarian soul. I don't know if I can convey very well how much this eased into my heart and mind. It was gracious, yet weighted with great sorrow and torment. This is important. Send it to Gabriel, he must read it.

[[untitled]]

This is great! I liked the two opposing views. The one who does nothing and the one who suffers. This was great. I liked the structure. Very good!

[J. Marc]

I love this poem very much for it tells about the progressive divergence of interests between people. Indeed, I fully understand the plead for more human dignity everywhere and the unbearable indifference of people sometimes and the difficulty to go on despite it all! So thank very very much for putting into words feelings that we have all felt at one moment in time! I was very surprised by the lucidity you put into this poem: most people do not the drift taking place until it is too late!

[Kae Martyndale]

Wow. That is incredible. And it makes me feel quite guilty, actually. Well written!

[An Ordinary Woman]

Emily, this is fabulous writing. I cannot think of anything I could possibly add that hasn't already been said.
You really laid it out bare here and more power to you for doing so. Yay you! I'm proud of you too and I love this writing and the reviews, all very cool!

[Ken Simm.]

This is exactly right. No more, no less. It hits all the correct spots, as a piece of writing, as a polemic and as a plea for tolerancde that goes beyond wishy washy liberalism. Well done.

[AK]

I love the passion in this.
And yet...
the computers we write on could be sold and the proceeds sent to feed a family for a year. The cars we drive are worth more than some people dream of seeing in a lifetime. The warm beds and balanced meals we provide for our children and grand children are only fantasies among so many in this world, even here at home.
Shall we sell our computers and cars? Shall we who have worked and fought and bled for so many others, we who have given billions (trillions) and have sent so much aid to so many countries for so many decades, we who have spent the lives of our best young people throughout our history so that others might live free and benefit... shall we cast away all the fruits of our ingenuity and perseverence so that we might live in solidarity and poverity with those who we might otherwise be able to help?
I know a young woman (the subject of my 'Her Music Braved the Darkness') who was literally whisked away from certain death during the Serbian's seige of Sarajevo by an American C-130. I wonder what percentage of the cost of that single aircraft came from my contributions? By working and paying my taxes I helped send that aircraft and crew to rescue Meliha and her family.
I've read about and seen video of men who were released from Sadaam's secret jails where they were being tortured (some fed into wood chippers or thrown from the roofs of buildings) because they lost boxing or soccer matches.
There are fields in France filled with the graves of young Americans who bought (with their blood) liberty for a nation that simply layed down it's arms in WWII.

I know you help others any way you can. And I know your heart is ripped apart by the suffering of the multitudes. My point is that most Americans feel that way too. And most folks who know and love the God our nation was founded upon still seek Him daily for answers to the injustices and inhumanities we see.

I love that you wrote this piece. I love that you were able to post it without fear of censorship or imprisonment. This piece made me think this morning as I was preparing to go to my office on Alaska's remote North Slope (above the Arctic Circle) where I live and work six months out of every year, away from home, family, and friends. I love that I can do a little bit to help keep the oil flowing to America. The America that has done and is doing so much to help so many.

[Raef C. Boylan]

Looking good.
Maybe,
said the semi colon obsessive,
a semi colon
after "bigger luxuries"
so that the reader pauses for that final impact?

Like someone below has said, this one deserves to be read and felt, not rushed through.

[Annalisa]

This was very good. I felt that it was a little cramped, perhaps you could separate it a bit so that the reader doesn't feel as rushed reading it? (Something about longer line with no breaks for new stanzas make readers speed up) That way the reader would have more time to digest the poem. But other than that, which is really just a style thing and doesn't matter all that much , this poem was amazing and very powerful.

...Kudos.

[Robert Luna]

Oh Oh Oh Oh you know i loved this. You were speaking my language my dear. I love seeing this type of writing from you. It has such in your face with facts you can not deny type of feel. The truth hurts but and can sent you free as they say, but what they fail to mention is the freedom you experiences is the freedom of your soul from your body. Speaking out against things such as this often leads you to a path you have to willing to walk with a strong heart and the readiness to stand up for what you believe.

Great Job!!!!!

[The Archangel Gabriel]

I luvit! Perhaps, the socially conscious AND VOCAL crowd is wearing off on you! The more voices that combine into sort-of-one, the louder they become and the more people they reach... I do not want to die in a Satanic hellhole.

And, this too shall come to pass. Great write!

-Gabe