Children trap butterflies in glass jars and marvel at the rattle of their flutterings
Adults yearn to free the panic writ large upon those beautiful wings.
Children freely display their wide eyed innocence for all to see and savour
Adults hide their innocence for fear of revealing wrinkled weaknesses to anyone.
Children love the Simpsons as they surely are a funny family
Adults love the Simpsons as it allows us to see how funny we surely are.
Children seek the world beyond the restraining heart strings of their parents
Adults smother this desire with paranoid, misguided cushions of post-modern love.
Children view the night through eyes that fear its threatening mystery
Adults embrace the night but fear the threat of morning.
Children poke cruel fun at the malfunctions and misfortunes of others
Adults will teach that this trait is itself a cruel malfunction.
Children are taught by adults to love thy neighbour and help people that suffer
Adults often hate their neighbours and cause immense suffering to ordinary people.
Children cry when their physical body suffers hurt
Adults cry when the soul within the body of their heart is hurting.
Children look up to the night sky and wonder at its vastness
Adults see the same and know how small we really are.
Children worry about the impact of global warming and the harm we do to this planet
Adults agree, then throw six trees and another full oil drum onto the fire.
Children learn to kill enemies in the graphically animated world of games consoles
Adults make the games in the likeness of their own foolishness, then buy them for their children.
Children crave to be grown-ups as quickly as possible
Adults crave to be children once more; our craving lasts far longer.
Children and adults seem to want to buy just about everything
forgetting that the best of everything is love - and that love costs nothing until it is lost.
As adults we try to do our best for our children, but our best is never good enough.
As children, you try to do your best for your parents, but ..... you’ve guessed it!
(Knowing this teaches you that adults are out of their tiny minds).
As adults, we recognise that our children doing better than us is the perpetual pedal that pushes humanity forward.
As children, understanding this teaches you that adults aren’t quite so stupid after all.
Children will read this poem and question the contradictions in what adults say and do.
Adults may listen and learn that we didn’t really grow up at all – then avoid providing answers.
Adults are merely children metamorphosing their way into the specimen jars of history.
Before the lid closes, flap those beautiful wings and fly as children, high on the winds of freedom.
In a list
A contest entry
- SPECIAL INVITE PLEASE...Outside the Box...Pic Prompt by nevadapoet.
1000 points, ended September 15, 2008, 19 entries
Silver trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Silver to Gold by Age of Rain.
360 points, ended September 27, 2008, 24 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - ROUNDS!!! Enter your BEST prewrite! by pinksnowboots.
700 points, ended May 12, 35 entries
Silver trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Comments
1 - 13 of 13
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This is fantastic. I love all the oh-so-accurate comparisons on children and adults. So relatable and so beautiful.
Children trap butterflies in glass jars and marvel at the rattle of their flutterings
Adults yearn to free the panic writ large upon those beautiful wings.
Children freely display their wide eyed innocence for all to see and savour
Adults hide their innocence for fear of revealing wrinkled weaknesses to anyone.
These are great. I especially love your last lines.
Adults are merely children metamorphosing their way into the specimen jars of history.
Before the lid closes, flap those beautiful wings and fly as children, high on the winds of freedom.
So so so so amazing. Great job!
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AMEN, Kezz, AMEN!!! You hit the nail on the head with this one, much insight with too many lines of wisdom to fully comment on . . . so damn well done bro!!!
Marc
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AMAZING. The ending is a sweet, wistful, and skillful way to return to the begin. Gotta love the metaphors, and the comparisons are absolutely true, at least to the majority of children and adults I know. Nice alliteration in the title, and good job on getting the spotlight!
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Wow
Really quite beautiful. Let the children teach us. Tiny Tim had something to say "God bless us everyone" hard to top.
Can't imagine what the gold looks like?
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Thank You!
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Wow!!! This is AWESOME!!! GREAT JOB!!! Every line and word is so very well written!!! THIS IS AMAZING!!! I love your metaphors between children and adults!!! That is fantastic!!! The whole thing was excellent!! I especially love your line about the simpsons and the children restraining heart strings and the line about loving your nieghbours!!!! I LOVE IT!!! I REALLY DO!!!
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I just wanted to say a big thank you to you for leaving this glowing comment. It made me feel warm and humble in equal meausure.
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Your metaphors are always so right on. This is the truth in all it's most simple perfection. You caught it all!
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Thank you so much for leaving this comment - it is greatly appreciated.
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very nice. could be a bit tighter though, get to the point and keep the flow from getting stale. but you can really write. and make things very clear.
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Brilliant.
Certainly penned by someone who has taken the time to really "see" and listen. Such stark truths. Bookmarking, so I may be reminded, and to share with my kids and grandkids. Bravo!
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Hey Kerry...I didn't comment on this write yesterday because it left me almost speechless. Alix loved it and debated on first or second place, because of a line in the first place winners poem...iy mentioned scrapbooking and walking away from the mess, which she is famous for. Anyway...as I read this piece, I wondered who it was that had written such a profound piece with so much wisdom contained in it...who was this person who could put into words all the things that are so true, but has never been said. I was conveinced it was one of the older ladies that I had sent invites to and I couldn't wait to go to their page and set them as a favorite for future insightful reads. When I hit...judge contest and it revealed that you were the author...my mouth fell open. Not because I didn't think you were capable, but because it it not your norman style. You are brilliant and this write will stay with me forever. You have captured so much real life hear and have delicately expressed the irony of the life cycle. This has touched my heart like you will never understand and I thank you for that.
I've nominated this for a spotlight on the front page, so hopefully it will get more reads and can touch more hearts as it has mine.
Thank you again so much,
Your friend to the end in Nevada
Shelly
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Well done! A wonderful, deep-thinking write and very well expressed. Congrats on the silver!
Be well,
Slayer
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