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.

[Coyote Poetry]

I agree with you. USA can spend 1.5 trillion on War. 60 billion on health benefits. The figure of Africa should break everyone heart. I went to Africa for food and water missions. It is a very hard life for most. I million will die of hunger. One million of HIV and no-one seem to care about poor Africa. Your poem tells the truth. Our leaders are blinded to all things except their profit and war. A outstanding poem.

Coyote

[Dawn Jones]

I had a dream that I feel asleep - FELL

Take out either HIV or AIDS... having both break the flow.


I really like this.
Youre work is beginning to reach your heart.
That's a very good thing ;)

[Neva Flores Smith - Cha..]

So powerful and true..............a wonderful poem

[miSS LEaf]

a powerful and factual reading; i read some headlines: 6 killed in train accidents.... over 1 million died in tsunami........ they didn't even say 'people'........ numbers have become subjects now?

[Faceless Love]

Amazing. Just when I thought you couldn't get any deeper. You prove me wrong once more. The big typeset of LOVE makes an impact especially with the stanza reading before it. Sometimes I don't like to watch the news or stay current , it depresses me deeply. Beautiful.

[Lydia Blackwell]

this stanza got me


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


you are right- those things don't have anything to do with love. And I think people can't find love when they are so wrapped up in all those things! Even or especially politics are a distraction to what is really going on in the world.
you were 100% right on, here. thanks for posting it!

[Sweet_pale_cacophony]

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
Those last two stanzas my friend,did the magic for me.You have taken up a very universal theme..something that is rarely voiced specially in a poetic form.Very impressive and commendable.