I should have known
when a child's lips
were pursed and quiet,
they hid the tears unspoken.
I should have known
that when my love's eyes
constantly avoided contact
it meant secrets
suppressed by pains never uttered.
I should have known
all the yelling and screaming
coming from behind my neighbor's doors at nights
were not from the television.
I should have known
the person in the alley,
which I passed on the way to a party
was dying from hunger,
by the gaunt and destitute face
and his ragged, soil clothes.
I should have known
once the first act of discrimination
stole a person's dignity and rights,
pretending not to notice
wouldn't keep my mind
from being haunted by the guilt
of having done nothing to change
or raise a protest of conscience.
Now I'm old and in a rest home,
no one comes to visit,
my heart so hollow,
ever nagged by all the ghosts of my past,
who I never cared to help,
sitting in my somber silence,
seeing in the mirror
what I have reaped,
I should have known.
Author notes
For Title Prompt - I should have known.
A contest entry
- MUHAHAHAH!!!!!! by Dirty and Broken.
800 points, ended October 16, 2008, 35 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Comments
1 - 6 of 6
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we have all said that in our lives at one time or other penman..(i should have known)..good luck in the contest..xxx
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Awesome!!1
your words were filled with so much sustenace, im going to book mark this one, i like this one alot!
Rend
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great take on this- i love it
thank you for entering! -
wow this is brilliant full of deep powerful emotions from stanza one through to the last stanza sometimes many people donot see the heartache and sadness before its to late good luck in the contest
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I really like this poem. It's soo true.
If people would just look around and pay some attention to those around them. They could have known. Great job! -
I like this and it has a message here that I hope people will read and understand the message. Great Job!
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