Hope Immortal

Inspired by the Auto-genicide I see ...all over the city by the crews hanging out ...sleeping on their futures by kids dropping out of school because ?? while others struggle to stay in ? wanting to hand out the " stones " to take responsibility and

 

 

Hope...

Leaps in the womb of the broken and oppressed

driving endurance to exceed even its’ own limitations

 

Tucked...

into back pockets of little boys

when people were colored 

butterflies still had wings

and metamorphosized into greatness

 

Burned...

into the backs

hands

and feet

of those…

who walked

because their soul

was not for sale

 

Scribed...

on the tongues

of Griots

and Elders

when ink could shed blood

 

Hieroglyphically recorded...

in stone walls

built to protect

not prohibit

 

Hope...

Once rode the tip of a warriors spear

remaining in his footsteps

trailblazing glory…he would not live to receive

 

Songs sung...

in many tongues

of genesis

exile

and renaissance

 

Rising...

in unlikely places

on the petals of urban crocus

close calls

history

and miracles

 

Trapped...

 in under layers of concrete

crushed by the rubble

of weakness and fear

dogma and excuse

stereotyped 

 

Cashed in..

and Sold-Out

for the appearance ...of arrival

without venturing the journey

 

Sprawled...

across the horizon

like tagging project walls

in the heat of city summers

with toxic misplaced pride

rebellion

sterilizing dreams

vacuuming crumbs of

destiny and excellence

 

Auto-genocide...

extinction 

death by friendly fire

comrades have morphed into enemies

 

Hope...

Rises boldly on prayers of the faithful

that the fight

will not die off

and victims

will become

Victors

that generations might seek the face of God

 

~ J.Hampton                    

Author's Note

I'll work on this later...

Reviews

[raining]

someone might say "too abstract" (whatever abstract really means) but no. I dont think so. I think, like a painting on a museum wall you have to step back to see correctly. how far I had to step back i couldnt say, but thankful I gave it another look. can there be abstract poetry the way there is abstract painting?

my son in law (now ex son in law) publishes poetry and writes himself using words as a medium of color expression. I will try and look for his email address. bye

[Creepy Swine Guy]

I love your poem because I think that there is MUCH truth in your words, or to steal a quote from a movie ... "... there is iron in your words of life."

I think that pride can often be an impediment to hope. I think that there needs to be an education that insulting a man is not the worst thing that you can do to another man ... enticing him to do something stupid that will cost him the rest of his life is.

[Kelley]

You know what Jen? Your amazing! I love your style of writing and I only wish I could write half as good as you. I loved your lines.......
" Rising...
in unlikely places
on the petals of urban crocus
close calls
history
and miracles "

This was a great poem Jen and I hope it will inspire someone to make something of there self and turn away from the life of crime and living on the street. I have been there and risen from the ashes I am the Phoenix.

Thanks for sharing
Hugs
Kelley

[Kevin Mattingley]

It is far from abstract. This is incredibly detailed and full of some really rich ideas. They sequencially lead across the work and I think there are some incredibly beautiful ideas in there, including the wonderful ending, (full of hope after the scornful emotions earlier). It is quite a journey of a very strong spirit!. I have really enjoyed reading it, so thank you for posting it!

Love

Kevin x

[Jenn Wathen]

its pretty but its not too pretty but i liked it

[raining]

I will need to reread this a few more times, it is heady stuff and needs attention to critique it.

Right off the cuff, I love the word sets you make, the connections of reality that appear to be metaphor, the action of all the words and the color they create for the reader. I will read it tomorrow, see what I see then. thanks, this outstanding writing. excellant, raining

[Fairy Tales]

what.your work is great, please i beg you not to change a thing...this was outstanding!