The Sign of Times

I had a dream that I fell asleep

deep within the Garden of Eden

my eyes closed to a blue planet

where apparently 33.2 million people

lived there every day life with HIV

 

while the government argued over

which multi-billion dollar company

was worth them bailing out next

6,800 people were affected each day

 

we continued looking for a tall man

with a dialysis machine in the mountains

vengeance is mine, said the Lord

the sky turned from a blue paradise

to a red color so deep it looked like hell

 

5,700 people died from AIDS that day

 

our senators continued to fight progress

Universal Healthcare got labeled a communist

everyday man was unable to pay for medical coverage

15 million children were orphaned by AIDS

and one child died every minute from it

 

my lord then asked me to look at these people

and explain to him how money, vengeance

greed, vanity, hate, discrimination, politics,

being communist, being democratic, rich,

poor, right or wrong had anything to do with

 

LOVE

 

for if I loved my neighbor as I loved myself

then I would see the urgency in the true

statistics that were listed above and I would

know what it meant for me and for everyone

 

I open my eyes and found myself drifting

from the Garden of Eden back down to Earth

with beautiful blue skies and pretty green grass

so I can watch yet another friend die of this disease

while the rest of the planet doesn’t seem to care

Reviews

[Gracie-San]

Amazing. Absolutely amazing.

This poem was so blunt and honest. It tugged at your heartstrings and made you think, while using facts and statistics to make it even more realistic than it already was. Not to mention, the way you use your words are very subtle and very simple, and they are very effective.

I loved this.

[Lena]

One word...TRUTH! I worked in the filed of HIV/AIDS testing/Counseling too many years, until my heart couldn't that the pain any longer. This Poem has done Justice to the Facts.

[Pikachu]

WOW just wow dude Gracie is right this piece is amazing

[Ladysue]

This was brilliantly executed...very powerful, profound and moving. Sad and so true... and the title very fitting and even sadder...excellent work...

[Cheyenne]

this is really great. a heartfelt poem true down to the last blunt word

[Snow412]

Insightful and interesting. Very well written indeed. You raise very valid points in this piece. Kudos.

[The Morbid The Merrier]

This is an incredibly powerful and impacting poem. I love it. Very beautiful, very true.

[Wicahpi]

I think you said a mouthful here and
all those who turn a blind eye should listen!
Sad, but true...and I wonder if change is possible.

[Poeticpiers]

nature is taking steps ro reduce the numbers.The planet can only sustain a limited number. Despite the progress made by medicine. Nature will produce a much needed plague against which we have no defence. The urgency should be in birth control

[Bubo]

for if I loved my neighbor as I loved myself
then I would see the urgency in the true
statistics that were listed above and I would
know what it meant for me and for everyone

How very wise, and very true, that as humans we become immune to the suffering of so many others, they just become numbers, and what really is done for them? The stats are very scary, and of course must rise in years to come, and what is the WHO doing about it?

A very strong vivid piece, heart wrenching in facts, and of course, who will fund it? Greed and power don't even see the destruction of aids anymore.