What if I never learned to put words to paper
or if my mind never taught itself to unwrap a fantasy
What if math was the only textbook on earth
and calligraphy never existed, nor rhyming words
What if I could only write out of a sense of duty
things like grocery lists, memory notes, bills?
What if manuscripts were the only things aloud
and if teachers only taught us, how to count
What if we were severely punished for dreaming
and our creative muse was thwarted and lost
Would I be able to live in a world of fable
without poetic truth, how could anyone survive ?
What if my English teacher hadn't been so svelte
when she found my crumpled note "Litte Mermaid Me"
What if poetry writing was illegal , maybe pens too
I think we'd all be duller then a white blank page
If I was told I couldn't write poetry for all eternity,
I think that would be the greatest sin of audacity
that ever existed on the face of this sorry earth.
AN UNHAPPY 'WHAT IF' THAT I AM SO GLAD IS NOT A REALITY! THE GIFT OF POETRY IS A GIFT FOR THE WORLD...THE LACK OF WHICH WOULD BE A TRAGEDY. THANK GOD THAT HIS GIFT IS OURS TO FREELY EXPRESS AS WE ARE INSPIRED. THIS IS A GREAT SHARING, THANK YOU MYSTIC. LOVE, BLESSING AND FAITH...HIS+INSPIRATIONS
Certainly a lot of what ifs. But we humans are so inventive and so language prone, that we let our freedom take us wherever it will.
I have vicariously experienced what you wrote. I have edited English translated poems of North Vietnamese imprisoned and held by their own people. Perhaps harsher than their treatment of Americans. Those poems were very sparse like the environment they lived in… Referring to finding grains of rice, eating rats and roaches, and escaping their captors. All written on scraps of paper cast off by the guards or even used for wiping butts.
Shut yo' "mouf" girl, let this never be an ever be, for without poetry, even though mine are not all that great, I could never express what few feelings I seem to be able to put down on paper or in type. OMG, I would be wordless, though to some that might be a good idea, but to me, well, let us not allow no more poetry to come about...Have a happy New year, young lady...-e-
I'm thinking that 'what if', and 'if only', may be the saddest words in the English language. The scariest 'what if' to contemplate, I'm thinking, is 'what if' we failed to accomplish what God put us on Earth to do? )-: Keen thoughts, Vie. Well done. Peace... r
Your poem is VERY thought provoking. I can go further on and say:
What if pens and pencils did not exist?
What if crayons were the only form of writing instruments?
What if parchment paper was the only paper in which to write on?
So many limitations may make writing even more difficult.
But somehow, some way, we would persevere.
I am an eternal optimist and things will only get better.
We will keep creating so have no fear!
John Michael
GLIMPSE OF AN ANGEL IS NOW AVAILABLE. A PORTION OF ALL SALES WILL GO TO HOSPICE TO THUS ENABLE THEM TO HELP OTHERS WHO ARE SOON TO PASS TO THE OTHER SIDE. NO LONGER AVAILABLE.
Timeless wisdom and advice on the art of living for today’s young and old: The art of thinking, the art of loving, the art of working, the art of leadership, the art of growing old.
A new translation by Sergio E. Serrano of this inspirationa
Share
Print
Save
Follow
I have vicariously experienced what you wrote. I have edited English translated poems of North Vietnamese imprisoned and held by their own people. Perhaps harsher than their treatment of Americans. Those poems were very sparse like the environment they lived in… Referring to finding grains of rice, eating rats and roaches, and escaping their captors. All written on scraps of paper cast off by the guards or even used for wiping butts.
Ron
What if pens and pencils did not exist?
What if crayons were the only form of writing instruments?
What if parchment paper was the only paper in which to write on?
So many limitations may make writing even more difficult.
But somehow, some way, we would persevere.
I am an eternal optimist and things will only get better.
We will keep creating so have no fear!
John Michael