Not now, she said
Not now, not ever
Not even when she shaved her head
Did anyone believe her
Not even when she lost all that blood
Half gone, half dead
Did anyone believe her
They said, give it time, you'll see
That we were right
And how happy you'll be
That you listened, listened to us, sweet pea
Jake didn't want to work in dad's factory
Not now, he said
Not now, not ever
Not even when he walked out of there
Did anyone believe him
Not even when he dressed up like Cher
And kicked away the chair
Did anyone believe him
They said, give it time, it's a phase
These things are here today,
Gone tomorrow, and they were...
Gone down the road with their thumbs out
To any damn place but here.
________
Funny, yet sad, that people can be forever in such denial.
ReplyDelete(Loved your 'dressed up like Cher' rhyme!)
Dandy piece, Shay!
Killer last lines, my friend. Another of your penetrating looks at the uncomfortable assumptions that form our cultural outlooks and result in all those unabsorbed and grim statistics we're constantly deluged with without even the smallest attempt at insight by our fine media. And an excellent poem.
ReplyDeleteHow true, do what society says and nobody will get hurt. However to stand on your own and live in truth, is rarely recognized....
ReplyDeleteThis one hits straight to the heart - kids with no room to be who they are. So well done!
ReplyDeleteWOW .. its amazing how many do not see... or feel ..
ReplyDeletecan anybody see us? a perfect title for this poem - love that you point out what so many don't want to see or just don't care to see
ReplyDeleteTis one that definitely hits home. Well done!
ReplyDeleteSad, really, that being true to yourself sometimes means you have to go it completely alone...
ReplyDeletevery powerful stuff, Shay...
ReplyDeletePowerful write. I love your work so much. Everything you write blows me away! This was so tactile and immediate and yes, heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteThe aloneness definitely comes through - anyplace but here...
ReplyDeleteThanks. This needs to be said, and it's not always teens and young adults who realize they're being compressed into a space that eliminates everything they are.
ReplyDeleteHere is to living awake instead of asleep!
--And thanks so much for laughing at my plastic candy&diet joke! I so rarely manage to be funny on purpose. :P
Perfect.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Talon's assessment. Being yourself can be a terribly lonesome road to take. I guess that's why we try to hitch a ride?
ReplyDeleteThese feel like song lyrics to me...
ReplyDeleteIt's sobering the boxes that kids are put into. Suicide comes up as an option out of that box.
ReplyDeletethanks Shay
Always going up the down escalator
Moonsmiles
Aloha from Waikiki!
ReplyDeleteSorry I haven't been around for a while, but if you read my post on Tuesday I'm sure you understand. Wishing you all the best!
Comfort Spiral
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Wow, this one's amazing! Who knows us better than ourselves, Chica?? No one, that's who.
ReplyDeleteDown the road with their thmbs out...
ReplyDeleteThinking free
to be ME !
You have to be who you are...self is all we have...thanks Shay...bkm
ReplyDeleteNice job Shay-- The photos match perfectly with your thought-provoking writing.
ReplyDeletexo jj
sad you know..again i feel the caged lioness in this one...
ReplyDeleteThese would make excellent lyrics. This one's crying out for music!
ReplyDeleteI'm with Tess. I couldn't agree more. Love and Light, Sender
ReplyDeletevery well expressed....keeping true to yourself.. stubbornness..where does the line get drawn...a great write...pete
ReplyDeleteSuch a sad reality, young people crumbling under the expectations of their adults. I wish parents could read this.
ReplyDeleteMy one shot:
http://liv2write2day.wordpress.com/2010/12/07/rediscovery-a-random-word-poem-for-jingles-poetry-potluck/
Great message, stunning photos... well done.
ReplyDeletesounds like a rock 'n' roll song Doll !!
ReplyDeletealways so lyrical !!
What a punch in the gut! I believe.
ReplyDeleteIncredibly sad. It is amazing how parents refuse to see the truth of their children. Powerful piece, Tiger-friend!
ReplyDeletexoxo
WF
this was a great one shot, Shay. More people need to open up their minds and their eyes...
ReplyDeleteStark, striking work. One of my three favorite 1SW poems posted in this week's offerings (out of the 130 that preceded this) - the other two, btw, were #55 (Kenis Cris) and #60 (mel).
ReplyDeleteLet the children be who they are, a good reminder, Shay.
ReplyDeleteThey will grow up and away, might as well have them do so with approbation for who they ARE.
Us "grown-ups" too, a lonely road as Talon and Tony say. But not so lonely when we remember we are made of love.
And isn't that Rob in the first photo? The guy who sang with Santana about being a "hot one, like 7 inches from the midday sun?" Just a hunch.
xoxo
Wow, this is so true. So many just don't see, or refuse to see.
ReplyDelete