I have walked with Giants

and they have walked with me

I have walked with giants

With graceful steps

I have walked with giants through labyrinths

With the twists and the turns

I have walked with giants through time and space

With the history and the scars to prove it

 

I started with Achilles, Odysseus, and Hektor

Their bravery is unsurpassed

 

And how can I forget Athena

With her wit and her wisdom

 

Then Aeneas came along

His strength built a city to which all roads lead

 

Caesar took the reins in this fair city

He paid for his successes with his life

 

Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle gave me new ways of thinking

The mind is a powerful thing

 

Shakespeare played with words

He created beautiful rhymes which have become the most beloved

 

Da Vinci gave me art so beautiful I laughed and wept

But mysteries still hide in that sly smile

 

Cervantes gave me a knight

He showed me the power of the human heart

 

Milton made me see the devil with new eyes

My eyes don’t burn so much anymore

 

Locke spoke of the power of the individual

He made people all over the world more independent

 

Rousseau gave me a Social Contract

He stressed being a good individual in society

 

Beethoven danced to the beat of a different drum

He gave me something for my ears to enjoy

 

Jefferson and Madison pioneered a radical revolution

They showed the world that people held the power, not people with expensive hats

 

Thoreau encouraged people to listen to their conscience

He taught me to think for myself

 

The Romantics made me more aware of my feelings

They pushed me to use my imagination

 

Abe Lincoln gave me the meaning of the phrase “All men are created equal”

He taught me that compassion comes out of passion

 

Susan B fought for the rights of women

She corrected the men and said “All people are created equal”

 

Woodrow wanted the world on the same page

His strive for peace and prosperity lead finding cooperation amongst diversity

 

FDR gave people a fighting chance in an era full of despair

His New Deal gave hope to the people

 

JFK broke all the barriers

It cost him his life

 

Rosa stood up for herself

She sparked a movement

 

MLK gave new meaning to the phrase “All people are created equal”

He fought for his dream to come true

 

Armstrong won the race

He made history with a single step

 

John Lennon reminded the world to give peace a chance

All he wanted was peace and love for all

 

9/11 made ordinary people heroes

This day gave new meaning to how strong and how fragile we can be

 

I have walked with all of these giants

And many more

The paths of history weave every which way

Some leave scars and failures

Others leave behind a better world

 

Reviews

[bluessadmood]

oh yes lots have taken that walk ,i have too,i think my giants were too many,i walked with them ,i was still young feelings still that of an innocent young adult ,i had a beautiful image of life i was so optimistic ,i had lots of thoughts ,good ones in my mind how great i am going to be one day ,then i found those heroes,and i followed ,they showed nightmares i would face along the way ,that the picture i had in mind was too bright ,too wrong ,life will never be so smiling as i thought ,they told me secrets to keep and to arm myself with for there will be battles ,lots on the way ,do not trust life ,they all say ,it will get you in troubles day after day so they gave me thoughts to battle with ,yes it messed my mind a lot but it helped me a lot too ,helped me to wait for her blows so i will not be surprised and so the pain she want me to see will not be so heavy ,she will not knock me down ,no ,but they all say she is too powerful no way to stand against her ,victorious she always will be but lucky the one who in end walks out with the least pains and wounds ,thank you my giants ,thank you my heroes yes you helped a lot all the way...

[Jim W White]

Seems to me somebody is very well-read! As a piece of writing it's both humbling and empowering which is a great thing to achieve with so few words (not that it's a particularly short one, but very succinctly written). Very thought provoking and also very personal.. says a lot about your own attitude to artistry and creativity. Inspire and be inspired; we shall all be saved.. I should hope!

[Legion]

Love the trip down memory lane. I should have used some of these in "Legion's Legacy". Great write. Now, stand just as tall as those giants. Make the world worthy and take notice. Kudos and keep 'em coming.

[Kelley Pascoe]

Now that was a cool poem!! I like all the people you put in this. I like history myself and this tip toed all along it.
Great write!! Thanks for sharing.
Kelley Frost

[J.K. (Not Rowling)]

Wow, that gave me goosebumps. That was an incredible, inspiring, and uplifting piece. Very, very well done. I found myself nodding in agreement at each statement. You certainly did your homework on this. I am thoroughly impressed. I especially love how you meld your "giants" theme with the ordinary people of 9/11. It's nice to remember that the giants of history (past, present, and future) were all once just ordinary people. Excellent job.