Thursday, March 20, 2008

Why Can't I Go There Anymore?

(Sunday Scribblings prompt is "I don't get it)

I THOUGHT THE WORLD WAS MINE

I thought the world was mine.
I thought that I could swim in any ocean.
Clouds below were my familiar landscape.
How could I know that wings that carried me
would be landlocked,
horizons shrink and borders close forever?

Generals
Presidents
Oil executives
I object!

It’s my life that you circumscribe.
I miss my world!
Your oil is running short; so too my years
and I am bitter with thwarted expectations.

I know that somewhere children starve.
Their eyes rebuke my selfishness.

But oh! I want my steaming jungles, jangle
of unknown tongues, smells of roasting coffee,
lights of a city never seen before that mark
a thousand homes, in each of which
I live a lifetime
for a moment.

For a little more cheery subject, go to my previous post to see some pretty spring flowers. Just erase everything in the above URL that is beyond blogspot.com, press enter and scroll down below this post. (This is information for new bloggers, not an attempt to insult you old-timers!)

26 comments:

Cherie said...

I'm with you, I want all that too! Well done! Happy Easter to You and Yours ;)

Rob Kistner said...

This was a fine piece Granny... and I agree with you wholeheartedly. ;)

My piece this week was conceived simply to make the reader feel the tragedy of life lost to a cold, merciless, indiscriminate 'killing machine'. It was symbolic, I did not want to preach. Bottom line -- I don't 'get' that kind of evil, it breaks my heart... and unfortunately it happens far too frequently in our world, gone technology crazy, and power hungry.

Peace!

gautami tripathy said...

"But oh! I want my steaming jungles, jangle
of unknown tongues, smells of roasting coffee,
lights of a city never seen before that mark
a thousand homes, in each of which
I live a lifetime
for a moment."

With that, the world would be your...


watered down

Keith's Ramblings said...

Well said! Happy Easter to you

Kamsin said...

I still think the world is mine! The thought of the jangle of unknown tongues and lights of an unknown city have me cooking up my summer vacation plans! But perhaps our wanderlust comes with a price in terms of the environment and such! Interesting and thought provoking poem!

paisley said...

in the immortal words of teve to his wife golda in fiddler on the roof...."it's a new world golda... a new world....."

and i am forever thankful i came into it when i did,, as i do believe i will be blessed with exit before it erupts.....

Beth said...

Lovely poem...and your header...it's a tulip tree (or at least that's what we called them in the deep south growing up). It's gorgeous, as are the primroses. I don't think I knew what those look like!

Anonymous said...

I feel all of that. Good work.

Amiene Rev said...

i am looking toward hellowin

Lilibeth said...

Well stated. I, too, am afraid to walk the streets where I once lived without fear. I remember once my father saying: It's only a matter of time until the world realizes how much we have and how little they have. When they do, it will be dangerous for us...unless we are willing to share, but is anyone ever willing?

Maggie May said...

That was a great poem!

Gemma Wiseman said...

Adore your impassioned objections!

We can feel your protest!

Gemma

DeeBee said...

Thank you for visiting my blog. I guess this weight loss thing is going to be with me forever. I'll have to learn how to endure. I hope that I'm still blogging at that time too.

Love your poem. It's lovely!

Lifeless in Ohio said...

I too am very aggravated with the politicians of the world closing the world off. I have waited a lifetime to finally get to the point where I can travel only to have so many roadblocks put in my way. Nice post - Happy Easter

Robin said...

Hear hear! I couldn't agree more.

I,Me,Myself said...

Thank you for speaking up for all of us, in such a beautiful way! You're very right in saying that while all presidents, business tycoons, etc. are fighting, it is the common man who is suffering. What they do, is in our name, but is actually for their own welfare!

GreenishLady said...

Great poem, Granny.

You've asked in a few comments about the letters some blogs require you to put in to validate a comment. I understand it's to prevent "automated robots" from going in and leaving advertising material or other unwelcome comments in blogs. It's to prove that you are a real person.

Patois42 said...

What a brilliant post in reaction to the prompt. Amen, Granny, amen!

Tumblewords: said...

Well said - Greed is the new mantra, I guess - kinda goes with power, I guess. Well said!

Tammy Brierly said...

I'm glad I peeked in Granny. Excellent poem that touched me.

Overeducated Twit said...

What a beautiful combination of sorrow and outrage. I especially like the lines "Your oil is running short; so too my years / and I am bitter with thwarted expectations." It hammers home the urgency of an impending end to the oil in a way I haven't seen before.

Jennifer Hicks said...

what an intensely important and eloquently worded sentiment. bless you.

Pirate Princess said...

I agree... Eloquently stated. :)

I wish my Granny was still writing - bravo!

rel said...

Granny,
"tis a greedy world we live in. But then hasn't it always been so? Of course there is always us. ;)
rel

Daily Panic said...

I agree.

little wing writer said...

for having a lightness of words you have spoken well that echoes through the canyons...