" Not only our future economic soundness but the very soundness of our democratic institutions depends on the determination of our government to give employment to idle men ." **
Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States
With a profound sense of decorum
I walked the ruined earth
Humans, skeleton-thin, eyes
Haunted with desperation
"Huddled together beneath pine
Boughs and their triple cloaks"
Starving, their bones, almost
Piercing their taut skin,
Feebly extending shaking hands
To beg for food and water
Seriously intent upon my journey
I ignored their plight
Yet days later, I was
Filled with fright
Night, impinging upon the day,
Flint and stone, I had none
Unknowingly, as I had marched
My rucksack had slipped away.
Would I become as they? *
Author notes
Written from this word list: phobos, desperation, skeleton-thin, starvation, pine boughs and these phrases:
"huddled together beneath our triple cloak's", & "a profound sense of decorum"
word list and phrases taken from: "Gates of Fire", by Steven Pressfield, Bantam Books, copyright 1998 Steven
Pressfield ISBN 0-553-58053-1
http://allpoetry.com/poem/3281088
I was just looking at my original hand written copy today (10/13/2009 - 1:11 pm), and my original title, on the little yellow legal pad, on which I wrote it first was "Phobos", later I decided "Phobia", was a bette title. DCK
http://www.stevenpressfield.com/content/books.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Pressfield
* http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/timeline/depwwii/depress/depress.html
**http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/f/franklin_d_roosevelt.html
For more information on the homeless; just click on these Google Links:
http://www.local.com/results.aspx?keyword=Veterans+Organizations&location=Seattle+Wa
http://www.contemplator.com/america/tenting.html
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=RNWO,RNWO:2008-24,RNWO:en&q=%3CHomeless+Veterans%3E
http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&File_Id=1757
http://www.lyricsbay.com/tenting_tonight_on_the_old_campground_lyrics-unknown.html
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=RNWO,RNWO:2008-24,RNWO:en&q=%3CHomelessness%3E
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=RNWO,RNWO:2008-24,RNWO:en&q=%3CHomeless+youth%3E
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=RNWO,RNWO:2008-24,RNWO:en&q=Homeless+Families
Title was changed on 7/06/2008 DCK
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Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 29 of 29
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let us pray most ernestly that you are no seer in this case, lest we all fall by the wayside and perish... excellent job my friend as always...and with my favorite background into the bargain as well!
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Aye, I quite agree! Thank you for your comment and compliment for I do appreciate them.
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A very emotive visual poem, your imagery is amazing, thanks for sharing, very well written you have lots of talent
x
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Thank you for your comments; compliments, and applause for I do appreciate them.
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this is thought provoking on so many levels. I was very pleased to find that there was so much depth to this piece after clicking on it. Thanks for sharing...peace and light always in ALL ways, kp
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Thank you for your thoughtful comments, compliments, and applause. I do appreciate them.
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This is quite good Quirky, it shows you care about this society and those people who somehow have fallen through the cracks of our society.
I do agree with you that we should rethink how we take care of our people, I think there is some famous quote out there
"The worth of a society is not in its wealth but measured by how it treats its seniors instead"
Anyways something akin to that.
I like it, I like it so!
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Thank you for your thoughtful comments; compliments, and applause. I do appreciate them. The saying you quoted also sounds familiar to me. FDR set up Social Security, here in the US, so I wonder if he was the one to say it. I'll have to see if I can find who said it.
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Speechless
I've been there as a child, having littleto eat. my older brotheruse to steal things from the circle k for my sister and I. sometimes the only meal would be theone at school. Its funny, how I hear my own kids tell me that the school food sucks... I loved it, but thats only cause it was food! I can look back on those days and really see how lucky we were that our mom finally gave up and let us go. That moment she was smart.
your words are very caring, and I like how you took time to add links to other sites for your research. thanks for sharing
Rae
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Thank you for your thoughtful comments. It ought to be a crime to arrest a homeless person for stealing food out of necessity, especially, when heartless politicians make draconian budget cuts in health and human services programs. It's the fault of the politicians, that homeless people are forced to beg on the streets for money for food; clothing, shelter,and other necessities of life. After all, as my footnotes indicate the homeless men and women one sees on the streets in the daytime are there, often, because there is no where else for them to go. There is no excuse for kicking them out of public parks because they are sleeping. That is cruel and unusual punishment. It needs to be against the law to harass and/or discriminate against a homeless person. Here in Seattle, I'ld rather see us go without replacing floating bridges - passenger only ferries connecting with bus system instead, and or the Highway 99 viaduct (just tear it down and use a surface option). Of course we don't need light rail tunnels under the hills either, just buy more buses, and increase frequency of service on necessary routes. Money saved could go to health and human service programs.
But no, politicians never do what's moral, they just don't care enough. Of course this is my personal opinion. Thanks for compliments and applause.
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Sad, we really dont know how fortunate we are to have never gone hungry or without a home or shelter and warmth,
thank you for sharing this with me.
Kind regards
Sophie
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Thank you for your thoughtful comment, and compliment. I do appreciate them.
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I know what it is like to be homeless and you did a good job at letting peope know what it is like.Great job.
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Thanks for your comments; compliment, and applause. I do appreciate them.
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Excellent job! I know this may be repetitous but this is very though thought provoking. Thanks for sharing.
There is a song by Keith Urban called "But For The Grace of God". The chorus of that song goes:
"But for the grace of God go I
I must've been born a lucky guy
Heaven only knows how I've been blessed
With the gift of your love
And I look around and all I see
Is your happiness embracing me
Oh Lord I'd be lost
But for the grace of God"
(For the rest of the lyrics go to http://www.lyricsyoulove.com/k/keith_urban/but_for_the_grace_of_god/)
Both your poem and that song remind me how blessed we are to have shelter, food, and our health.
Keep writing.
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Aye, we are fortunate, but how about those who are not? America, supposedly the richest country on earth, and we can't provide jobs, food, clothing and shelter for all of our homeless? Why not? You might like to take a glance at some of the other poems which I've written about the homeless. Also, I hope you had time to click on the external links which I provided. A link in a moment to those other poems I mentioned.
http://allpoetry.com/list/57521-Homelessness
What's wrong with our politicians that they do not seem to feel a moral obligation not to cut the budgets of our state social service's dept's?
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Thought provoking
Vey thought provoking in a time of social unrest. Obviously this piece can be taken many place from our waning society to stark realities of the Sudan. Non-the-less, a very thought provoking piece!
Rhon
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Thanks for your thoughtful comments; compliments and applause. I do appreciate them.
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Oh. This is a pretty creepy poem that you have going on here. It's almost something that could be good for Halloween for the way it's scary. I think it makes a strong political statement. Especially the way you started it with a quote. That was a nice touch. You did a good job of expressing yourself here.
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Thanks for your comments; compliments. I do appreciate them.
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Wow, this is really a touching and profound write. I was going to say what Woodchuck said, but didn't want to be repetitious. Fantastic job with this!!!
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Thank you for your most thoughtful comment; compliment and applause. I do appreciate them.
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Excellent job. It is a good reminder that when one looks at those less fortunate one should think, "There but for the grace of God go I."
I enjoyed this alot.
Mike
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Thank you for your comments; compliment and applause. I do appreciate them.
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wows
that is very good, it made me go like whoa. its kind of deep, yet just skims the surface.. you made me think. good job! -
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Thank you for your comment and compliment. I do appreciate both.
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nice write. the words just flowed with one another
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This is a beautifully written poem very rich in images of desolation and bleakness. A lot of emptiness and disheartenement. I don't read dark poems or rarely but this one is genius. You don't pretend, wear or mask feelings. You speak freely with words. A lot of empathy in sharing troubles but also in solving. An experience to me in strength and hope in a troublesome situation. - These lines:
Seriously intent upon my journey
I ignored their plight
Yet days later, I was
Filled with fright
Anyway in a legacy of pain and suffering, your words are fill with dignity for a better way of living.
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Thank you, for your most gracious comment, I do appreciate it. Aye, today, too many suffer in the streets.
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