To See the Sun

An old Chinese proverb: Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.

A precious little palm,

Soft and unblemished.

It bears no scars,

Recalls no pain.

All of two years old,

It already clasps a glistening key.

 

Beady little eyes have stumbled upon

A secret that eludes grown men.

And this sweet little child,

He wasn’t even searching for it.

 

He is born knowing"

We are all born knowing"

That to find happiness you must smile

Even when the rain comes.

You must dance

Even though your feet hurt.

You must love

Despite the hateful hail besieging your soul.

 

To see the sun,

You must be the sun.

 

Somewhere along the way,

The light flickers in those youthful eyes.

That gold key slips from his growing fingers

And he doesn’t even notice its absence.

No, not until much later,

When his soul slips down a cavern of despair

And depressing poetry provides a flimsy ladder.

 

Then he realizes that he once held that key,

So why the hell did he uncurl his fingers?

How will he ever stumble upon it again?

The key does not sail in with his sweeping words

As he reflects eloquently on the failures of humanity.

He sits in the dark, searching for the light

And he can only find his computer screen.

 

So many complaints,

So many theories.

It is all so complex,

So empty.

 

Happiness is no Quadratic Formula.

You must smile as the rain pelts your face

And dance pretending that the melody cures your tired muscles.

You must love as if your heart is pure and soft

Even knowing that you have been cut before

And will be cut again.

To see the sun,

You must be the sun.

Author's Note

I feel like there are so many poems about how the world is such an awful place nowadays, and I can't help but think that it's kind of a circle. The people who think that the world is a depressing place and ruminate on humanity are, themselves, making the world more depressing, even though that's exactly what they're complaining about. Did I just group myself among the people who think the world is an awful place by saying that? I'm not sure, and I'm confusing myself. Anyway, please give your thoughts. :D

Reviews

[Kenneth The Poet]

I can't but help think I inspired this poem, but I think I might be a little full of myself here. I love the reference to the quadratic formula for sure.

Seriously, you have a point. People like me might bring you down, but don't let that inhibit your work at all. Have a bright day, and let the world shine. This poem is officially favorited.

[KimLove "The Beautiful ..]

Blue a very sincere thought, I am constantly hearing the world is what you make it. So I suppose to a degree I agree and then again I disagree. But maybe I am just as confused as the rest. I suppose it depends on why you write what you write, if it just to piss on the world then yes I agree but if your working through some sort of pain that you must unleash. Oh IDK, I think it is a pretty awsome write. xo

[realmwriter]

I love this piece, because I love the fact that you confused me as much as you did yourself! It an amazing write, Thank you for it! I see myself her a bit cause I often complain of the world being s**t and I'm just taking another dump on top of it! Though I don't just sit around and wallow in it either. I try to do something that makes it better for all of us on it.

[..]

you know this is an truthful write. I like this it says so much

[Daydreamer54]

I like this because it's true it's up to you how you make your day, u can either say it's a horrible one or you can look in the bright side of thigs. great write! ^^