Cecil Jones High School and the syllabus,school
teachers and society were challenged by the temerity
of the right questions asked at the wrong time,
leading to the isolation of imaginations,
she asked in History isn't history
a perspective
of the selective?
Wondered aloud within religious studies
who, who receieves the royalties from the Bible,
who wrote the book that sends men to war
when the commandment says thou shall not kill,
Asked not for any thrill, but need to seed
growth and closure between weeds growing
between tombstones and epitaphs
of those in Africa that deserved more,
more than remembrance at Christmastime,
Challenged the HeadMaster when he said
she could not legally smoke behind the bike sheds,
told him true that the law was an ass,
it was in actuality legal to smoke or toke
under age but not not to buy the blow,
He didn't bow or kowtow to her naievity,
instead said go and do what you will do
and maybe one day you will see
that Catholicism has its merits too,
abortion is but an expulsion of contents,
it was then, then, she learned
to trust neither God nor religion again,
some things were beyond Hail Mary's
yet she still, still loved the man
and thinks of him fondly
despite his untimely death,
they both challenged each other
but she likes to believe
that they both gave each other
breath...
Author notes
Dedicated to Mr. Ellington, I did not mean to be a trial by my questioning nature,all the times I was sent his Office for the insolence of my questioning the syllabus, I was treated with fairness by this man who could not,not understand my need to question, even though he punished me he did not want too,he had to,he told me that he never treated me any differently because I was best friends with his daughter, I respected him for so many reasons and respect is one of the highest honours we may feel for anyone surely? I never wanted to be treated differently, only fairly, despite the generational and religious/societal divide, he treated me with respect and tried to reach and teach me what I was slow to learn. I hold him and his lessons within my heart. I envied my friend and the trophy that I beheld as her Father, for I had no Father and was envious, but her loss is greater than mine, when I heard of his untimely death I wished I had told him how much he had meant to me, that he had made a difference. If you haven't told anyone within your life that they make a difference ,please tell them today...
In a list
A contest entry
- I. LIFE by Naridill.
800 points, ended January 31, 2008, 15 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
constructive comments welcome
Comments
1 - 20 of 20
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this was just something, a sign of a great man is how he is remember and Mr. Ellington sounds just like that in this poem, keep it flowing and congrads on the gold
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congrads dear
splendid i surely do like this poem here i happen to think you did a great job bravo
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Wonderful. I'm struggling for words to express this here. I love the way you portrayed an inevitable kind of clash here, not between the two people themselves, because they genuinely liked and respected each other, but unwillingly because of the things they represented and believed in.
I like how you show yourself as questioning--we all have to ask questions, where would we be if no one had asked the question, so, how can I communicate with other people besides talking, and invented the written word?--but you don't show the authority force as a devil. Beautiful. -
Second time today that you leave me at a loss for words, and took me back to my high school days. I can now see where your skills come from, Yvette and I so enjoyed reading this poem with all its nuances. You had a great teacher but i'm sure you were an excellent, inquisitive student....now I understand so many things so much better!! Wonderful writing - it's witty courageous and sensitive at the same time - which is your forte and your trademark. Loved this poem... thank the Lord for your understanding of life!
~ Nicolette
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This left me breathless in so many ways, we should question everything in life, if we don't then we will never learn from others mistakes and then our own. We must keep on asking questions even if the answers are ones we do not agree with or like. You write with a profoud and sad beauty but I am left wanting to stand and applaud you and the nobility you show of saying he was right if not all the time then some of it. Outstanding dear poetess. Congratulations on a masterpiece
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Quite a story
This could have been titled "they changed each other". Between the ying and yang of all of it they found a common ground. Old school new school...a thread.
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Wonderful. this greatly reflects a child's dilemma when what she sees in the world differs from what is actually taught. A pure mind resists corruption to hypocrisy but unfortunately that is a bigger challenge to face too early in life. And the respect for those who deny or differ is a hallmark of such purity.
My most sincere congrats -
This has got to be one of the most beautifully written pieces I've had the pleasure of reading. Elegant and poignant, it indeed does prove that when we are young we know not everything as we think we do. Well deserved of the gold medal it received.
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this left me without words....
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....I never lost faith in God but got lost in other men's interpretations of the Bible...some using it as a weapon...some espousing passages verbatim but living a life with a separate codeceil...
What a voice you have in your writing! my problems with religion are exactly in agreement with your above statement. I will not accept war in the name of God and seeking peace through war, how is that supposed to work. How can Christians look at single divorced women as being in violation of heads of household biblical laws. Back in those days I would be burned at the stake or stoned to death. Bless you for being the strong voice that you are and asking those questions for which no one would give you an acceptable answer.
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Wonderful, just wonderful writing. I liked the repeat of certain simple words. It adds to the cohesiveness of the piece. I disagree with the assertion that God cannot be trusted - in my view, it is rather our perception of God that is despoiled by our own bias and prejudice.
BTW, properly interpreted, the Bible says "Thou shalt not murder" - not 'kill' as is in the King James Version.
There are many battles faught in the Bible where God was on one side.
Bravo for a very well done poem.
Paul
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paulcreates
Paul, such a coincidence that you should randomly read this write today. Earlier I was thinking oh my, another lesson learned today...another learned the hard way...seems as if those are the ones that linger longer in memory...
...thankyou for saying this was well written...I appreciate your kindness for I feel the lumpiness and bumpiness but don't want to edit yet as it's too personal, if that makes sense?
....Glad the repetition seemed to work...I agree with what you disagree with here...it's not God we should lose trust in as much as we should perhaps look at what our expectations are when we, ourselves, are imperfect....
....I never lost faith in God but got lost in other men's interpretations of the Bible...some using it as a weapon...some espousing passages verbatim but living a life with a separate codeceil...
...Ahhh...the tenuous threads of interpretaion of words...to try and define the difference between kill and murder...we would surely get lost in ethics and legalese territories...for it is one thing to kill/murder in self defence and quite another for recompense...
...as a teenager I went through a time when I was vegetarian because I felt guilty that animals were killed to sustain my life...kept wondering what gave me that right...became very ill be severely limiting until was vegan...concerned about the plight of African children starving I started petitioning our Government...raising funds to send...ate less with the guilt that why should I have a full belly when I was lucky enough to be born in a region with food...nearly drove my Mom mad...even telling her at Christmas time to send my meal to those children...I couldn't eat it and couldn't digest words or faith...I couldn't see the skeletal mirror image of myself...or that I wasn't saving animals from pain by not eating them..or causing my family pain..or not helping by feeling guilty...
In time I grew to see that I am not responsible for what anyone else does...as long as I encourage only good things and not bad...that I could help animals more by campaigning for them to meet a humane death rather than an unmerciful one...that I can't feed the world but can petition for us all to give something so together we all feed the world...the murder/kill bit...oh my...my country was experiencing atrocities that led to deaths and barbaric injuries...I kept asking where God was each time...yet he wasn't responsible for any of the deaths...other men misusing sectarianism and under the guise of being protected by their priest were ...
God isn't lost to me...I can be a good samaritan ...a good neighbour...not break the commandments...without purposely harming another...I believe the answers aswell as the questions we ask of ourselves, others and God are all keys to what will either lock us in a space and time or free us to simply be...
...if we didn't shape or colour creeds but simply treated each other how we would like to be treated...I think we then find we are the Churches that God intended to be built...The buildings of ourselves...
Enough of my rambling...thankyou for reading and for your thoughts...
Yvette
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So selective in the words and bright-true the aim. -reminds me of my English teacher Mrs. Wyatte. She was a hard ass on me all through and in between those semesters. -taught me nothing, I believed , until , one day I realized she showed me more in a year than what I had applied in 20. Selective History and Bible Smoke. Catholicism tainted my beliefs in growing older, but none the wiser. Wyatte taught me to appreciate life -even in death. I'm awe struck at your poem above me. Beautiful and Blue.
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a perspective
of the selective?
aye, history is written by the ones who are on top in the most part, it is doctored to suit their smiles.
yeah the bible do not kill then we look in history's pages and see wars all in the name of god and it is still going on now.
let's blow smoke rings in the face of education and smile - a good poem
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"who receieves the royalties from the Bible,
who wrote the book that sends men to war
when the commandment says thou shall not kill,"
Saw "Rambo" this weekend. It's a "Man's" movie. No love scenes. Forget Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Sylvester Stallone. He wrote "Rocky" and this (among other things.) If you write, you will never stop writing. If you have a message, you're gonna tell it. One.
Dez
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You authors comments gave me memory's and fond but sad memories of a teacher I once knew. A friend, a teacher or such more. I only wish we always knew to do these things before they are too late. This was such an intense and beautiful piece.
I thank you a lot for sharing this one. It reminded me not only of the importance to remind others of there importance but also the beauty of your words. A very inspiring poem.
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another stunning one dear.
I myself have been penalized for curiosity-
reminds me of a former high school teacher
everyone knew him as the 'smiling strapper'
he disliked punishments but would give it!
He was always fair though...
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This was a great lesson in learning that faith should not be blind and question with all you might. Even when its against those that you may love. Question until your last breath. Thanks for sharing.
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love this..
"they both challenged each other
but she likes to believe
that they both gave each other
breath..." relationships of this kind do do that...
interesting poem..
(that Catholicism has it's merits too, - its)
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A Beaut!
Really really liked this, Yvette. Plenty of meat in a very neat form. Many cheers mate. jimmy
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