A Poem: Left or Right
I wrote this poem when I was a senior in high school, and just came across it recently, so I decided to put it up. Why not, right?
Left or Right
I went walking through the woods one day,
along a path quite old and worn.
Walking briskly ahead and humming a tune,
same as I had since the day I'd been born.
But something happened on this one day,
something that had never happened before.
I saw a large mass of people ahead
upon the banks of a distant shore.
As I drew closer, I noticed two groups,
each guarding a separate way.
One to the left, and one to the right,
both looking at me on this beautiful day.
"Left or right?" The people asked.
"Come now, quickly, make your choice.
Choose your companions and road for life,
and choose the man who will control your voice."
"Control my voice?" I asked. "But no one can."
The replied, "Not just any, only men like these.
Who? Why, the leaders of left and right, of course!
Choose whichever one you please."
And so, baffled, I looked about.
And wondered on what side I should be.
I looked to the left and I looked to the right,
but neither side looked very good to me.
And so I looked around some more
and noticed something I hadn't seen.
I saw a path that wasn't left or right,
but exactly in-between.
And so, without a backward glance
I started out from behind the sign.
I took a road neither left or right,
but a new direction: mine.
Since then, my path has led many places,
but the end I cannot see.
For the best part of having my own road
is that the end is up to me.
-M
Left or Right
I went walking through the woods one day,
along a path quite old and worn.
Walking briskly ahead and humming a tune,
same as I had since the day I'd been born.
But something happened on this one day,
something that had never happened before.
I saw a large mass of people ahead
upon the banks of a distant shore.
As I drew closer, I noticed two groups,
each guarding a separate way.
One to the left, and one to the right,
both looking at me on this beautiful day.
"Left or right?" The people asked.
"Come now, quickly, make your choice.
Choose your companions and road for life,
and choose the man who will control your voice."
"Control my voice?" I asked. "But no one can."
The replied, "Not just any, only men like these.
Who? Why, the leaders of left and right, of course!
Choose whichever one you please."
And so, baffled, I looked about.
And wondered on what side I should be.
I looked to the left and I looked to the right,
but neither side looked very good to me.
And so I looked around some more
and noticed something I hadn't seen.
I saw a path that wasn't left or right,
but exactly in-between.
And so, without a backward glance
I started out from behind the sign.
I took a road neither left or right,
but a new direction: mine.
Since then, my path has led many places,
but the end I cannot see.
For the best part of having my own road
is that the end is up to me.
-M
posted by The Jack of Diamonds at 3:37 AM
4 Comments:
Amen! Why is it that, knowing the history of slavery throughout the 16th-19th centuries, WW2, etc., that people still insist on forming into groups of "good guys" and isolating other groups as "bad guys"? There is no excuse for those in politics not to know better!
I say focus on issues and those affected, not on political personalities. But maybe that's just me.
hmmm, I love when I come across old poetry. Usually I write it, focus on it, and eventually hate it and deem it complete and utter shite. But then, I stumble upon it again, read it over and wonder...yeah, I wrote this and it still speaks. Still exists, and for some reason I like it again. quirky.
I rather liked the rhyme structure you worked with. To much early (high school) poetry is devoted to heavy end rhyme. And sure, who doesn't love a good rhyming couplet every once is a blue moon, but after awhile you want to gag. So, nice work. I'm a formalist so structure always matters more to me, but I liked the work you put into yours.
-Della
So, Jack, you still kicking around the internet at all?
I like it. It has a certain old school glow. I especially like the end.
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