Now You, My Son

We're in an age of boring life
where poets play with rhyme,
and women paint their faces bright
and dreamers drift through time;
where all the gods have been dethroned
and pack the butcher's chest,
awaiting feasts, where those atoned
are crowned our noble best.

We're in an age of planting blame,
and dancing 'round, in awe,
an ancient flame, the very same
those slaves of pharaoh saw;
that shines its promise to the night
with visions raised to tame
and coax the beast in man to fight
and blind him to his shame.

We're in an age of ignorance,
where glaring truths can fade
and constitute no hinderance
as specious points are made,
and pliant minds are swayed,
and real is bent and twisted back
to mask, in innocence,
the laughter of those with the knack
to charm through arrogance.

We're in an age of righteous hate,
where men choose groups to cling,
and brotherhood is there for all 
who know which songs to sing;
who pack in rallies, now banal,
and rage on with their king
through spit and sweat, all sycophants,
assured what prayers will bring.

We're in an age where strangled dreams
are left in heaps to rot;
and plastic hope, recycled, seems
to double what we've got;
where proof pervades the plot,
a song of angels stuck in time,
each echo more perverse
and still the melody sublime.

We're in an age, the only age 
that man has ever known.
We've felt it swing from rest to rage
and back, and heard the moan,
as wailing ancients shake their cage
and beg us take the throne.
We offer nothing for their pain
and all their blood has sewn.

Now you, my son, were born with eyes
and ears a lot like mine.
You'll see this world of nurtured lies
and hear the squealing swine
and know that all the knots man ties
are rooted in desire,
and take your fill of everything
and let them see you smile.

Author's Note

Please let me know what you think.

Reviews

[Patricia Wedel]

dearest Poet… we had a Constitution that guided our Days… now we need Protection from the Loose Cannons that destroyed our Morals. It is a Sad Day… but Hope remains and the Sun will Rise after the Reign of Terror. tenderly, Pat

[mattavelli]

Thanks for reading, Pat! :)

[Melbourne Bound]

that shines its promise to the night
with visions raised to tame
and coax the beast in man to fight
and blind him to his shame. - I wanted to like this set the best but then....

Then you wrote this one:
We're in an age where strangled dreams
are left in heaps to rot;
and plastic hope, recycled, seems
to double what we've got;

[I can only hope your boy is half the man you are.]
His visions will touted, no doubt highly clouded
but evermore he'll be, the spitting image of Daddy.

[Rafia Anjum]

wow! it is amazing as clear as a crystal each word is reflecting the phases of human life. the illusion of pharaoh makes the poem sensible.

[Ken e Bujold]

An achingly beautiful poem. Very impressive. I know all too well how hard it is to maintain the balance of rage, cynicism, and warning inside a longer metered piece, always having your eye like a pendulum swinging back and forth to keep the rhyme and the beat in harness with one another. You managed it extremely well, Bravo

[mattavelli]

Thanks for reading, Ken! :)

[Tate Morgan]

Beautiful poem congratulations on your poetic win in the latest contest:respectfully Tate

[mattavelli]

Thanks for reading, Tate! :)

[S.zaynab.kamoonpury]

I agree with many awesome lines esp how God has been dethroned in wayward minds , and how we are in an age where glaring truths can fade. Fabulously creative muse and reflection wow!! Kudos and this is my fav poem from those you submitted to my contest

[mattavelli]

Thanks for reading and the contest! :)

[Lisasview]

I believe this may be my first read of yours..
Glad I came upon it as I sit on the train from Madrid to Alicante.
Define rly an interesting poem with thought provoking words.
The ending was fabulous,
Lisa

[mattavelli]

Thanks for reading! :)

[Lisasview]

You are most welcome.

[Aura]

You do an amazing job at exposing the dark truths of our world and what it has unfortunately become. But with every new life, they have the opportunity to make it what they want it to be, while the darkness of the world looks over them they still have the power to show the world their light, their smile. Insightful read!

[mattavelli]

Thanks for reading! :)

[Aura]

my pleasure :)

[JE Falcon]

A well-written poem that pushes all the buttons of truthful thought. I especially like the end, "and know that all the knots man ties
are rooted in desire,
and take your fill of everything
and let them see you smile."

[mattavelli]

Thanks for reading, JE! :)

[KAREN]

Now you, my son, were born with eyes
and ears a lot like mine.
You'll see this world of nurtured lies
and hear the squealing swine
and know that all the knots man ties
are rooted in desire,
and take your fill of everything
and let them see you smile.
Powerful ending! Awesome Write!

[mattavelli]

Thanks for reading, Karen! :)

[KAREN]

My pleasure!