They say no news is good news.
Unfortunately we’ve had all too much news.
Here’s a poem in the midst of all the news.
HELPLESS
by Nightprowlkitty
Ever fall in love
and not want to?
You’re helpless.
Emotions arise
no escape,
no surcease,
helplessly in love.
Ever hate someone
and not want to?
You’re helpless.
Blazing heart fire,
burns you,
hurts you,
helpless in hate.
Monks and nuns
dying in Burma,
tho now it’s called
something else
(Istanbul was once
Constantinople).
Helpless in front
of guns and power,
helpless in their woe
and hunger,
still they march,
helpless.
The cynics laugh
and tell us:
“United States! Ha!
You are owned
by big corporations,
all around the world,
making money
off your pain.
You are helpless!”
The theorists are serious,
and tell us:
“You are too emotional!
If you would only listen
to me, listen, I will
show you the way!
But you won’t listen!
You are helpless!”
Hungry children,
exhausted mothers
and fathers,
all around the world,
survive, day by day,
no hope of relief,
so helpless.
As fat America,
sells its freedom
cheap.
30 comments
Skip to comment form
Author
But there’s a lot of folks out there who want us to think we are.
I think you are on the money when you say that we’ve had all too much news. And your poem speaks loudly to me – especially what you note of theorists.
I saw some footage of the monks very early today at 06:00 GMT. They were walking in silence. I don’t know why they were doing that but I was felled and humbled by the power of it.
…about this place is that people put up poems! 🙂 Rants too (I just posted one, though with different take) but what the hell.
good poem.
It’s pretty cool, assuming you can get past the hawkers trying to sell you carpets. It’s also cheap to visit. In the Hagia Sophia (the biggest church of the Holy Roman Empire), when the Muslims–[Turks] took it over they took out (sensibly) all the Christian icons and such, or painted over them. So now you have this enormous “ex-Christian church” which now has two enormous wooden shields (the things are 30 feet across at least) affixed to the upper interior walls, each with a big Arabic character imprinted on them. It’s a staggering sight. You just walk in there, into this huge open space, and you’re amazed.
Burma, that is truly a depressing and seemingly helpless situation. For the people trapped there your poem is very apt.I wish there was something more I could do about Burma, but I don’t know what it is. Even frickin’ Laura Bush hates what’s going on in Burma. I fear the best we can do is publicize the situation there as best we can, to try to influence corporate dealings with the place. But I’ll be the first to admit I don’t know really where to start.
NPK- I dunno what to say…I used to hate poetry(‘cept lyrics) until I found this place. Yours has moved me beyond words.
Thank you.
I don’t write myself, but I appreciate the poet’s ability to say so much with so few words. Thanks for this NPK!!
Here’s a short one by Davidy Whyte that yours made me think of:
Loaves and Fishes
This is not
the age of information.
This is not
the age of information.
Forget the news,
and the radio,
and the blurred screen.
This is the time
of loaves
and fishes.
People are hungry,
and one good word is bread
for a thousand.
That should, of course, be David Whyte!
Need more coffee!!
Not to suck up like Lieberman does to Cheney, but this is really good.
Top to bottom, really really good.
for Dartagnan and RiaD.
From the Dept. of Obviousness, of which I am Acting Director.
The title of this song, literally “Setting Sun West Down”, or simply “The Setting Sun” suggests facing the darkness of a coming night before a new day. That’s what we do.
If your PC isn’t set for Asian double-bit character the Chinese title may not render, but that’s seen in the begining titles of the video.
And “Happy Day” as I go to bed !
Author
… a difficult endeavor here in America, with so many offered distractions.
Thank you for this lovely video – and I appreciate your sig line as well.
Thanks for sharing it.
Here’s a not so serious response to helpless. The person below doesn’t intend to shave until the US stops its illegal occupation of Iraq.
Helpless.
very powerful,
thank you for sharing this.
Peace.
helpless all day helpless all years. Thank you your poem helps with the latest flood of helplessness I feel. We all feel and therein lies our strength. The main thing that holds us back is the wall of what we face. We really are not helpless and need to find our source beyond the boarders of whats offered by the present.