Advice to a Young Man with Ideas

Inspired by Mr. Kipling's "If" I juxtapose superficially demoralizing with ultimately empowering if not inspiring advice.

Advice to a Young Man with Ideas

 

When you think and feel

The hope and ability to change

Things that people learn to abide by

With the deadening of time

Remember you are arrogant

 

If you treat the world’s successes as yours

And easily grieve at what the world clicks past

And still try to do one perfect thing

Remember you insult the pragmatic

 

Whenever your dream is too far for their mind’s desert

Your oasis will be splendid but empty

They will never meet you as anything 

But their mirage of you

Remember you are fleeting before our goal

 

If you can rise above lies

That people tell to opiate themselves

To see beyond their deafness or your blind insistence

Remember you can be more than an idea

 

That you can be more than their them

Or your you 

Author's Note

Please criticize sincerely. Thank you for the time you spend to read and think about my work.

Reviews

[cest la vie]

I echo Emily, very well written.

and yes, welcome and I look forward to reading more of your writes.
(Note: This reminds me of a spoken piece I saw recently by a British spoken word poet-
The Matrix by: Paradox-he's on my space videos. You and him thought alike on this subject).

Welcome!!

[Emily B]

no criticism here, I found the work worthy. Welcome to the cafe.