Ladies and gentleman
I have been saved
I have been saved by poetry
The word of the pen is what I live by
And its limits are not limited to this sky
Behold
For I have seen him
Seen God in every fold of every page
Because paper is the cross
And I hang it on my wall
To remind me of the loss
The world will feel when
Our words cease to be real
I have been saved and I don’t know what from
But I know I don’t need to be saved now
Nothing’s craved now
Now I go to church ten times a week
Because I write when I feel the love as I speak
The word
Lemme hear ya’ say word
As I
Preach to the choir now and then about higher powers
And the pen
Again it makes me feel a sadness for the world
What about girls in oppressive nations
Speaking when spoken to and only in answer to orders
What about indigenous tribes watching their backyards bulldozed
Before their homes are too
What about families starting lives in new continents?
Trying desperately to compliment
Hearing only laughs
What about victims of rape
Searching for anything but disgust
Anyone they can trust
They haven’t found their
Voice
Their power of choice
To move pyramids
I wish I could save them all
Or convert their oppressors to the word
So no longer would a timid bird be stepped upon
For I have been knocked out by the concrete imagery thrown at me
Ideas fusing cortex numbers left and right unknown to me
I started a period when I began writing
It's at the end of every line my words stand in
I spit my verses in a cup so I don’t’ have to swallow ‘em
This I have learned from the poets that I follow
Some say since the pen gives you no slack that your piece turns out tight
Piece, I now understand why this word is used
Because the pen is the chisel chipping away at your soul
And giving it to the masses
Piece
By piece
I’ve learned to write metaphors I don’t understand
But live my life so I can later on
Psychologists would be out of work if they’d hand
A paper to you saying write upon
I wish I could have saved those poor Spanish devils looking for El Dorado
For in time one can write gold
But Impatience and Apathy have conceived a modern day world
Who pays homage to its parents through Hallmark poems
‘Cuz $1.75 for a card can be earned in six minutes
Which is less time than it would take
To break the daily routine and pull out a thought
That would mean something
And this is because
People believe they can only belong to one faith
Well I say that’s absurd
Be you Islam or Christian
Or Catholic or Jew
You can always belong to the word
Author notes
This has been worked and reworked.
A contest entry
- Inspiration please! anything goes! by woman onamision.
650 points, ended February 25, 2006, 59 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
1 - 6 of 6
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This is long but reads well. The language is good. I can't say that it is clear in entirety but for the most part the ideas are clearly set forth.
I spend time face to face with my faith every day... it is in the face of religious fanatisism that I become angry. I think religions have very little to do with faith... and that faith and faithlessness are a series of lessons that the we and the rest of the world each other regardless of what religion we follow.
Nice job.
s and bst wishes... ~genie~
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Well, jfyi, the first assignment in my originality class asks the students what keeps them writing and you'd be amazed how many respond saying how poetry is therapeutic to them and they don't know how they'd cope without it... some were even suicidal before starting to write.
It's not what you say, but very much how you say it. I feel this is better heard than read... have you written it to perform? I just get this feeling out of it. -
I couldn't agree with you more. I also belong to the Church of Poetry and have for 20+ years. Never been at more peace than when I'm writing.
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You have an amazing talent. You have a purely magical way with words, and I can completely agree with the point you have made with this piece. I highly commend you for this, and as for your question about the line you were debating, my answer probably isn't helpful. Since you wrote it in there, it's obviously there for a reason. Poems (etc) are often nearing perfection on their first appearance, simply because that was the flow from your heart, your soul, and/or your mind. Do what you think fits and works best! <3 great write.
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this is indeed a fine piece, it os long but then it should be for the purpose behind it, the words we use in poetry are the same words contained in every religious publication you can read as you say be that Christian Jew Islamic or whatever. It is the interpretaion of the word that counts, most religions see only one meaning, we as poets can hopefully see more than one, this is nice, deep, thought provoking and a worthy read, as to the line regarding the period? it goes well with the poem but does imply the voice of youth if you are looking at this being more of an accepted piece it might be betted to either add something to show it was 'years' ago even if it wasn't, well done
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Catch title there, liked it as a song too....and I agree, having faith no matter what church you go to is a good thing.
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