Returns
Forward movement stalls
when rights become more important than people,
opinions more important than life
Strife never looked so disgustingly brilliant
in all its grand pomposity
dancing with grin
spinning wildly,
flamboyant
in grief's face
No new reactions
just familiar returns to vomit
after which
pretension marries ignorance
gives birth to indifference and pride
Besides
change isn't necessary
'til death knocks on our own front door
and even then
we tend to
tip our hats once again
to the reaper
**I'm posting this poem for dVerse's Poetics' prompt on change. It is one of my many scribblings about Newtown, though I've never posted any of them. It just felt wrong to offer one more commentary, but writing is about processing. I suppose now that some time has passed, it feels less self-indulgent. I don't want to be insensitive, but I struggle with our country's extreme division on how to fix the problem. It took only hours for the disagreements to pile high. It seems we're more concerned about our opinions than finding a real solution. I'm not sure I have the answers, but I know we need some. That is certain. I wonder if change will ever come. I hope; though my doubt is big.
Strife never looked so disgustingly brilliant
ReplyDeletein all its grand pomposity...dang strong words....i have written a few myself...one i will post on tuesday...already we are forgetting in the face of the fiscal cliff...strong write lori
Thanks, Brian. I've had a hard time processing the awfulness of it all. I will be looking for your piece Tuesday. Can't wait to read it. Happy New Year :)
DeleteA thought provoking poem...strong opening with the first two stanzas... I do hope change comes... Happy New Year to you.
ReplyDeleteThank you, and I do as well. Happy New Year!
DeleteForward movement stalls
ReplyDeletewhen rights become more important than people,
opinions more important than life...so true...sometimes we just miss the point because our mind set is so wrong...it bothers me when politicians think in that way, they can cause so much damage, and how can we change things like what happened in that school when we don't work together..ugh...an excellent write Lori..
Thank you, Claudia. I think it disturbs me most how polarized our nation is becoming. I don't agree with either side whole-heartedly, but the stubbornness, the refusal to bend at all is where the real problem lies perhaps.
Delete..' when rights become more important than people...opinions more important than life..' i can't resist to quote these lines... it has a disturbing feel i tend to meditate so to agree... smiles... happy new year..
ReplyDeleteThank your for you thoughts, Kelvin :) Happy New Year to you as well!
DeleteStrong and powerful lines here Lori ~ this one particularly got me -
ReplyDeleteBesides
change isn't necessary
'til death knocks on our own front door
Why does it take death to shake us up? And its not only in the US, mind you, its also in our countries, like in India with the death of raped victim yesterday in Singapore. Why does it take death to knock at our door?
Happy New Year ~
Yes, that poor girl's death has been heavy on my mind as well. It seems every day there is another awful story to tell of senseless violence.
DeleteHappy New Year to you as well.
I thought the beginning and ending of this poem the most important. Of course, rights are also about people - one of the rights being a right to walk around alive, free, and pursuing happiness. I think that trumps the others pretty much--certain it trumps a right to cart about assault weapons. Anyway - I think the discussion needs to keep happening and hammering and hammering. Thanks. k.
ReplyDeleteYes, the assault weapons I certainly don't understand. Hopefully, we can all agree on that point at least. Thanks for lending to the discussion!
DeleteLori;
ReplyDeleteI am glad you shared your words. I think you have good point that there are too many times spent posturing about rights. Maybe in 2013 we can re-purpose the question, moving away from "can we" to "should we"?
Cheers,
Delaina
I hope so, Delaina!
DeleteHope is looking forward to something and expecting it to happen. Hope is not an emotion, it is a choice; we choose to have hope, or we choose not to. I choose to hope that good change will come.
ReplyDeleteExcellent write, Lori!
I will choose hope, too! Thank you :)
DeleteI definitely agree that rights should NOT be more important than people. And so many times pretension DOES, it seems, marry ignorance. Time to find a real solution instead of standing around with lots of hand wringing. A thought-provoking write, Lori.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mary :)
Deletelove the third stanza - powerful words. powerful poem. very good.
ReplyDeleteThank you much :)
Deletetip our hats once again to the reaper! wonderful line. thought provoking write. thank you.
ReplyDeleteThank you :)
DeleteI am sorry for the hurt you experience because of the ungodliness. That is partly why you are so beautiful. Being willing and able to acknowledge it and wanting to fix it. Always so honest in your thinking!
ReplyDeleteThat we may bring life, all the time.
Thank you for your kind words, Retha. Yes, may we bring life all the time!
DeleteLori- firstly, so sorry for my tardiness! an secondly, happy new year! This poem has bite, a real abrasiveness. And reading our description about the poems subject, its a feeling i share. There needs to be so much change, but people, being people, will be reluctant to do it..not that i can understand why, or that im giving up on people. We need more people to voice their feeling as you've done here in this great, emotive write
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you and yours as well, Stuart! And no need for apologies :) Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I won't pretend to have all the answers, but I hope we can come up with some sort of compromise here soon. Otherwise, more and more people will lose their lives senselessly :(
DeleteI might disagree with you. I believe rights should be more important than people. Truth is not a value. Truth is God. Justice is not a value. Justice is God. But if you think of natural strength and social power when thinking of rights I agree. Life should not be a run for ownership. It is a complex discussion, though, since the authority of the ones ruling, as the policemen, should be measured higher than anyone else's. We want peace. But I understand your concern is to condemn the hunt for power and position. And that I do too.
ReplyDeleteI think I understand what you're saying here, and I suppose that my concern is when we get stuck arguing over rights instead of looking for real solutions. I believe in personal rights for all, but I believe we sometimes value what's best personally over what's best collectively. Rights written for a different time might need revising if they're not meeting the needs of current society. Hope that makes sense, and thanks for sharing your opinion! It matters.
DeleteLor,
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about posting about Newton, and it feeling wrong. I did, and it did.
Keep pushing us to think hard, my friend.
Yeah, it's a strange thing to find anything worth filling such a vast void. Thank you, friend :)
DeleteChallenging words in poetic form - between and rights and the opinions I am praying that people slow down and think this through. Change is hard. It always is. But we need it.
ReplyDelete