I keep hearing how this election is going to solve everything. I am sorry but I don't agree and this is my response.
Majestic sleepwalk in a ghost-land observatory
Dueling the drooling duality of normality and life
I weep
My tongue swollen and longing for a rest
Tonight I stitch these eyes close
Sown this mouth shut
Wondering
Will you be my friend in the end
You can’t save me from myself
I am left ugly by evil eyed glares
From ugly faces that dare to stare at this crumbing mess
Losing a vanishing grip of an imaginary ….hope
Hearing the words repeat…. be myself….be myself
be yourself
Refusing to be another casualty to conformity
Watching as the Dove of peace plucks the warhawk from the sky
Crowded by the worst of mankind
I rise
I rise, fist in air
and as I stand there
Knowing I deserve to be here
because I try
My heart is warmed by the rage
that courses through my veins
Hearing the clichés ringing in my head
I can’t sleep at night
Thinking about the complication
of the implication of being myself
I should know who I am by now
Write line after line
Trying to define who I am
But the truth be told, I, like you
Am constantly changing
Rearranging, learning
I am not the person I was yesterday
Nor am I who I will be tomorrow
and it’s not sorrow that I feel knowing that
That in fact gives me hope
Hope in a small way, making me think
maybe we can all change
Now they say times are changing
but it doesn’t seem that way to me
Seems we need to change the times
In order to find peace
It’s a nauseating feeling
Seeing the naivety of people who believe
By a changing of the guard
All our problems will be solved
and we’ll all be saved
Give me a break
If you want things to change
I say take to the streets
Let your voice truly be heard
Loud and proud
“We have had enough”
Send a message to those mother fuckers
up there
“NO MORE”
No more excuses
No more lies
Do the job you were elected to do
Be a representative of the people
Take off the cloaks of special interest groups
and serve the people
If not
Then we will find someone that will
But in order to truly make a change
We the people must make it happen
All great journeys must begin with a single step
So I’m not asking you to do something
I’m begging you to
If we don’t
Who will?
Shades of JFK, here. And I couldn't agree more. My B.A. is actually in Poly-Sci... and these same issues have bothered me for years. The apathy that permeates our culture is at epidemic levels. If we can't even get people to show up to vote, how can we hope for grass roots movements for change? There has to be a momentum built...
This piece is inspired. And inspiring.
Thank you for posting this.
I had this conversation recently with a few of my friends about this very subject and it is very true,gone are the days when people spoke up niw its the trend of letting someone else take care of it,but its kind of a vicious cycle that doesnt end andnothing gets done,my point....i enjoyed your point of view thanks for sharing :)
This poem spoke to me. It's powerful and beautiful. Mostly, it is honest and real. It doesn't sound pushy or flakey.
My favorite part was the line that begins "am constantly changing/ rearranging, learning/ I am not the person I was yesterday/ Nor am I who I will be tomorrow." The search of the self is a never ending quest, having the concept of change the key figure. You are right. Change will not be done for you. It's a matter of ourselves.
Great and powerful write .. i am half asleep .. but this woke me .. i am worried about America and who will win in Nov.// i dont know who would be better!
I have read this three times and after I get done each time,
All I can say is WOW! This was amazing. You have a true gift and
I'm just glad I found this poem today. It really made my day.
Great job!
Fascinating read for an outsider looking in on the way US politics are right now. Politicians always promise and trade on hope, yet so often disappoint. In truth they usually promise more than they can deliver to get elected and we buy into the optimism. The special interest line here caught my eye with the way things are right now over the $700 billion package. It is knife edge stuff watching the congress -- reflecting the real anger of millions of ordinary Americans -- take a long hard look at the bail out for the money men. It is as if the cry of the bankers is: all-American winners deserve bonuses...yet when there are losses, nationalise 'em. Wonderful! Yet if congress says no to the package perhaps the taxpayers get hurt even harder. At least the congress seems to be representing grass roots fury. As your poem says, change must be inside every one of us. And we should stand up for right. Great to see a serious and passionate poem that is bang on topical.
You truly have been rearranging. I know it and see it. This is a stunning call to arms. This election looming will not save us.It's just a shuffle of the deck. We must stand and act. Thank you for calling us to account.
"It's a nauseating feeling
Seeing the naivety of people who believe"
These lines stuck out for me. The entire piece speaks volumes Robert, and I'm not taking away from that at all. The reason those lines stick out to me -- I am a people watcher (observer). It's becoming more and more apparent to me just how brainwashed we are as a society -- not only in politics (well, it's all political in one way or another), but in our daily lives. Like cattle... that's how I see it. It may sound harsh, but I feel that we are all herded like cattle, told what to think and how to feel. If we don't conform -- dare not say it aloud or you run the risk of being an outcast -- and who wants that? We live in fear of it. So, we blindly follow as we are told, close our eyes and pray for the best as if we are helpless over the outcome. Are we? Alone, yes. Unless we are an individual who can prompt others to act. The power is in the masses -- but the masses are afraid. And as such, we eat what we are fed. Garbage.
I love your work. I may not always agree with every single point of view (most I do), but that's what makes us individuals and I respect and appreciate your willingness to put yours forth and try to make a change for the good! It's really all about trying to right what is wrong and thank you for being a voice !! Bring the other voices along for the ride and gosh darn it, we may just see a change!!!
My name is Robert. I write therefore I feel I am. My words come from my heart, soul, and mind. I write what I feel and see, life is my inspiration. Life itself is art in its purest form. There is noth.. more..