And with a Heavy Heart
…and with a heavy heart
…just a little something
The individual is but an atom
From birth, to acts, to the reaper’s fathom
But the principles they hold to each day,
Those principles keep an infinite sway
We speak in riddles of kind diplomacy
We yearn to have the republic so hopelessly,
Late at night, we siphon through meaningless planks
with no agreements present or ascendant in rank.
So now this night we sit amongst the rubble
My voice bayed tween the teardrops of trouble
With a somber brow, I so humbly greet
As terror perturbs and reigns in our streets
Just like the solemn wind tussles so free,
So goes the murmurs of diplomacy.
Republics begat on the backs of their people
destroyed by the weak and those evil deceitful.
So this night we hope upon hope to endure
Each day stained with a fresher scar than before
Scars from the young graves, from bone and from plight
How dark the sun feels on this bleak August night
My gelid words are just the kind of language,
The preemptive verbiage used in citing anguish
The crudest tool to embolden new theories,
and with simpler words to hearten such furies.
Destructive are the passions promoted by war
And what follows are the griefs that we must endure
We honor the dead, whose boots stomped the floors,
Free of their breath, defending the remnants of some accord.
The effigies of such clockwork soldiers
Hobbled from winter, slouched on a shoulder,
The cleric, commending souls to the deep,
Patriot souls lost for those principles we keep.
I kowtow upon the stained, sanguine dirt
The loam looking and smelling like summer baked earth
And our arms, they were mighty, perhaps much needed,
Or, perhaps, we strayed from the shores of their reason
On wintry nights while my wife lays asleep,
I sneak to the porch, and let the cold bite me deep,
It’s feel is ethereal, ephemeral, and real
tis enough to recognize the cold bitter feel.
But perhaps we strayed too far to depress
And we began to choke on the liberal progress
As their propaganda poisoned, it was easy to see,
in the coming, like hindsight, broadcast as though free.
But we wholly sucked in that stale, acrid air
as their safe zones collapsed our lost, fumbling prayers.
And streets that once thronged with such precious life,
Suffered a plight of such sick, moral strife.
Our resolve, it was written to quick on the sidewalks
in tiny DNA fragments it fell on the bedrock.
What kind of sociopaths were we to be now?
A world bound by blood and many more broken vows.
With anger and fright we stood in the night
Silent and scared with our hands clinching tight.
We watched on the TV, with hope leaving sight
As our Nation did fall to the weakest of might
With no one to blame but our half bitten tongues,
Today marks a year, I’ve hacked from these lungs,
And breathed in the ash from complacent fails
and damned all the carnage to some other veil.
So with a very heavy heart I solemnly stand,
Not as a small spearhead, but a god-faring man.
A person with blood running straight through my veins
equipped with a soul that is burdened and strained,—
No longer should we defer all the pleasure
Of shaking hands for principle, not just for gestures,—
For citing swift justice upon the hateful few,
And letting her thunderous strikes birth us new
So as long as the velvet night shall lend us sleep
I utter these promises that I too must keep
I too shall heed these words whispered clear
Be adamant, be strong and face down your fears.
Let no one begrudge you for gender or skin,
let no one detract how you feel within.
Be proud of your country, the flag and the oath
Be of the solution, be part of the growth.
Paul Neglia
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Paul,
This is a powerful, poignant, and also very positive poem in its finale to “…be of the solution, be part of the growth”.
Your words are striking in imagery and noble in their passion. This is lovely all the way around, and it makes me feel proud to have even read it!
Blessings!
Tamara
Thank you so much Tamara. You always seem to find the positive in my work. Much appreciation.
A very evocative piece and when we write about politics and indeed our country, there is always and angst, a regret for what has occurred. The truth is I believe, that political systems will always fail to some extent because we are flawed beings and those in power become corrupted by the opportunities position holds. Until humanity becomes selfless to great extent, the halls of power will echo deceit. But there is always hope and we the people, must voice our opposition to those who would take our freedom from us. Nicely penned Paul, thought-provoking and poignant, especially in the current political climate. Cheers!
A far greater task than any of us are prepared for. Selflessness contradicts that sense of pride that is instilled into each and every one of us, that competitive nature we hone at an early age. The problem is when people think their power exceeds the umbrella of humane thought. I think the senseless acts of violence and all too public display of bigotry and prejudice being flashed across the country is becoming the boiling point of the American society. These sick far right and left groups pressing the matter is making things spiral down a slope we may not be able to come up from.
Reminds me of a Charlie Daniels tune
“We’all all stick together,
You can take that to the bank,
That’s the cowboys and the hippies
And the rebels and the yanks….”
If only that were true Ralph. This country is falling apart at the seams. Its bad.
Your work is succinct and compelling. I echo Tony’s words in his comment to this marvelous piece. I’ve never seen such turmoil in American politics since the election of your newest President Donald Trump. He may not be my favorite choice, but the people did vote him in and my opinion is he needs to be given a chance. But I know it will never happen, as long as far right’s and far lefts attack him from all sides. Unfortunately some of it he brings upon himself, he is no diplomat that’s for sure;-) He calls a spade a spade. The MEDIA especially CNN crucify him on a daily basis. There is so much hatred in the cities, streets and country. I personally HATE politics, I rarely watch them, they are liars, cheats, untrustworthy, crooks and much more. Most definitely a passionate evocative piece here Paul, well done. I also like Ralph’s comparison to a Charlie Daniels song, well done.
He is the President and whether we like it or not, it is what it is. He definitely is not being given the chance to run this country properly. I have taken to politics in the past few months and it has broadened my thought on certain subjects, on the flip side it has opened my eyes to the hate in this country. You are correct with politicians, they are not good people. Most spew what everyone wants to hear and then when they get the power, it’s a complete 180. All for themselves. As for Trump, I have my reservations. He does call it like it is, sometimes it gets him in trouble. Thank you so much Vincent.
I despise political machinations – I will just say one thing about the way our country is now: it is not Donald Trumps fault, rather it is the evil doings of democrats like the Clintons who follow Soros, who actually controls a lot more in politics than most realize. The liberal democrats were so shocked and angry that a ‘business man’ won over Clinton, that they promote hatred and violence in such ways as to try and demonize President Trump.
Paul, you have a noble soul and deep wisdom. This poem is powerful, incredibly poignant, and well penned. Your last two verses especially touch my heart and soul. I also love Ralph’s comment. If only we could make Charlie Daniel’s words law. Your poem is much needed in today’s world, Paul, and your words admirable. Thank you for writing this. Hugs
You are very welcome. It was just my mindset for the past couple of days. First with North Korea then this atrocity in Charlottesville, I can’t fault Trump for everything. Yeah is he an idiot for tweeting about everything, yeah he should have called out the white supremacists, yeah hes not well versed in politics. But he was a change. People put him under the microscope, and then bad enough that they hit the 100x zoom. I couldn’t imagine running a country under the stress he is put through. Nukes, Nazis and nut job extremists, and then the left. They are relentless, lying, I’ll spoken individuals hell bent on ruining this country all to push their warped agenda. Sorry i vented there. Thank you so much for your extreme kindness Phyllis. Much appreciated
LOL – No need to apologize, get it all out, Paul, don’t hold back for goodness sake. 🙂