Enlightenment!

No one walks anywhere anymore.

My self portrait

_________________________________

Waves rolled across the horizon

through afternoon darkened black sky

The world we came to know shut down

as storm winds counted time gone by

 _________________________________

I walked outside just for awhile

to see what the damage had done

Only to find neighbors talking

it was so nice to meet each one

 _________________________________

We lead cold insulated lives

tucked safe and away from others

Too many electronic toys

to visit with our own brothers

 _________________________________

I noticed we don't build sidewalks

no one walks around anymore

Too afraid of the evening news

to dare visit our neighbors door

_________________________________

My friends keep their children hidden

schedule play-dates with one and all

To visit with their playstation

just to await their friends next call

 _________________________________

All you see in the news is fear

"be afraid foolish, there's no hope

Don't build friendships with your neighbors

they might just give your children dope"

_________________________________

We watch as our children grow fat

pretending we don't fear the truth

Yet we remember riding bikes

through the creek that ran in our youth

 _________________________________

When was it that we stopped running

then gave up hide and seek till dark

Too afraid of our own shadow

to let children play in the park

 _________________________________

I don't know what we were thinking

sitting with friends all day at work

Where we hire our private trainer's

to make us look like we don't shirk

 _________________________________

But that one day the power died

I knew the depth of our mistake

We should turn off the fear mongers

for salvation of our souls sake

 

Tate

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Author's Note

I find that great moments of enlightenment often come in the times we least expect them. Then in a moment of Zen brilliance things are made so clear. This is one of those times. The United States news organizations in my opinion are all about fear and ratings of the same. If you subscribe to their theory Susan Smith could be your neighbor. We spend litteraly billions on defence to allieviate our fears over the present state of terrorism. Yet more are killed by our own guns in our own country every year than have been killed all together through our history from terror. Here's an idea quit giving money to the rest of the world. Bring home most troops. Spend those billions finding a way to keep us from accidently killing ourselves! If the rest of the world wants to kill themselves, let them! The tribes of Afganistan have been killing each other for at least 1500 years. We cannot change the way they think or act anymore than we change another in a relationship. I see this all the time people thinking they can change their partners through their influence. It never works it never will, anymore than abstinance has been able to stop pregnancy over the centuries. Meanwhile we go into recessions that effect the entire world. Think of what a great life it would be if we could fund humanitarian aid to our own country, our own retirees. There are as many baby boomers ready to retire soon as all those who are already retired. We need to let the immigrants back in. We need them to support these new retirees. The Government has swelled to twice the size it was in 2001. These people don't pay Social Security taxes. They are payed by us and they invest in a different way for retirement. If this keeps up the only good retirement will be a government job spying on your neighbors.

Reviews

[Bud]

I'm sure I have enough thoughts and opinions on this to fill a novel or two. I'll save you the grief, here. LOL Man, Tate! How you have hit such a crucial, critical, and most detrimental point of truth here, my friend. I feel no pen could capture the truth of today's society any better. My heart jumped a time or two recalling how I, myself , have pondered this very thing. I'm as guilty as the next. Letting the news and like media dictate, brainwashing me with fear to the point of nearly being a recluse. Yes, I hear the cry, my friend! Indeed I do, for I am crying with you! I remember that wonderful park two blocks away, with a beautiful creek running through it. The one I used big truck inner tubes to float down, with the homemade paddle I fashioned out of an old pair of cross country skies. The tail ends nailed to an old shop broom handle. The same creek I spent many hours alone...when even then danger was known to lurk in the evening times before and after dusk. My second home that taught me many, many things concerning life for an innocent young boy. Lessons that last a lifetime for the better of good. I remember unscheduled (excepting for when it was school time) playing times. The only time mentioned was how long I could stay. I pushed to the limits there. I remember never having heard of supervised play times, outside of recess at elementary school. Sad times, that an understatement concerning what has been lost, and rendered being a mere memory for the more fortunate of us. When did we lose that control? How did we let it happen before our very eyes? What were we thinking, as you Masterfully asked here? No apology to our children or any other to follow them is enough to forgive us of our detrimentally grave error. A shame we are sure suffer judgment by those of the Highest Creed! We deserve it, though we knew not what we did. To think, that is just a slight memory of one particular area I claimed my stomping grounds. Doesn't even include the res to the neighborhood and the many, many places I traveled alone. By today's standard, the police would be looking for me with the expectations of the worst. I was out getting the most important and most valuable lessons anyone can learn...form life and nature. The Master of Masters. I do not mean to carry on, but obviously you have one of those with this one that just begs to hear a response from the readers who do remember. This is, also one of those Magnificent pieces that makes a reader yearn to go back for just one day, one hour if that is all that is allowed. Never mind any heartaches or the like. Give one hour of those days, and that would last me forever! How lucky and blessed we were. Who would have, who could have ever thought or imagined times would come to this so damn fast! Keep up your usual and most Delightfully Outstanding works of art!

[Judy Ponceby]

Superb! Excellent presentation of a very deep profound flaw in our views of the world. I commend you on taking this broad, volatile subject on. Wonderful work once again Tate! :)

[roarke]

Don't even get me started. This subject is so huge, you've framed it so precisely. The problem has such a long lineage, yet it boils down to the disconnect between the generations. That's all I can say without foaming at the mouth, so I'll just thank you Tate for your eloquence and grace in your enlightenment.

[ice]

Camped out on the outside of this mess are poets, such as yourself, screaming out words...not carrying signs..."the end is near" We must write, to purge our souls...convince God we are not like most..
Scratch our heads, and keep writing...keep writing...keep writing
Peace to all and all you love
ice

[An owl on the moon]

Vividly powerful expressions of our modern age and the fear that often overtakes us... And fear of what? A new friend? I'm so glad I live in a small town now. You always make the world come to light in your work and connect to each of us so poignantly..

[Crowley]

Congrats on the feature...this is a brilliant look at what troubles every corner of our world. As a kid I ran all over hell and back, got into some trouble, got out of some trouble, but lived life a little. You make a great point in a very eloquent and nostalgic manner. Nice write.

[Frantzuu]

Freaking amazing poem. It speaks the truth.
This line is awesome

All I ever see in the news is fear.
"Be afraid you foolish, there's no hope!".
"Don't build friendships with neighbors".
"They might give your children dope!"

Great poem well done.

[a]

deep insight. simplicity that covers deep, dark waters.
thank you!

[Kelley Quinn]

I had to review again..my previous one just didn't cut the magnificence of this poem. Your words speak the truth in every way possible and imaginable If there were some way to get out to the public what we are becoming, this is what would be posted in the news. If there were ways to warn the future generations of what is to become of our children and their children, this is the writing that says it all. If there was anything we could do to heed what one day we will surely become, then this writing should be in every history book and every library, giving warning to all ages. I wish more could read and take warning from this. It says everything needed to be said and states everything that we have changed. We are destined to one have no sidewalks, to stay in our houses, lazy beyond belief we will be because we will have everything we "need" in our cozy little homes. But what become of the nice walks through the neighborhood and parks? What has become of the neighborly visits of, "I'm making a cake, but don't have any sugar. Care to come over? You can help, if you bring some sugar" Trusting one another is a good deed. "Love thy neighbor", hm? Where is this world going? Where has it already been? The truth lies all here, Tate. Incredible job explaining. I hope other people see the depth of the truth.

[Rainbow Skank]

i like it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ^_^

[LadyNaida]

What is this so true. There is so much chaos in the world.