"Only missing children
Lost in the woods "
if you only knew or perhaps you do? how true this was

Very pessimistic, Ace. However, I find a peek at a lovely lady can bhoy my spirits and give me optimism again.

Ron

"Lost in the clutch of academic supremacy
And spiritual withdrawal"

Robert...by far one of your finest pieces.

So profound Jude...because it is so true!

Peace and love, Carole

...There are no real leaders

Only missing children
Lost in the woods...

Powerful & wonderful, a poem of pure truth.
Excellent! (c :)
Thank you
Tracey

I just returned from a walk on my property which has about three acres of woods...I liked what I saw in the woods...and I like what I see in this poem. You always make me think about things...how do you do that? Thank you.

You know what I do when I get all gloomy like this? I go find a book or a website that describes what life was like 100, 200, 500, 1000 or 2000 years ago. And when I do, I realize that while it may seem like we are gripped in a age of barbarism, we are in fact moving more and more toward humanism. And it is poems like this, at least I think so, that inspire people to open their hearts just a little and let the world be at peace. ~ Sara

There are days when I go through feelings like this too. Excellent capture of this emotion. Often when we are peeking out, feeling lost, is when the opening does open if only just for a few seconds. Hugs

just damn good poetry, robert! very well done!

(((HUGS))) and much love, your friend in tx., karen lynn. :(

You express the profound frustration and despair of many, Jude. Writers, poets and artists speak the truth, Jude. We are quiet leaders of our time. And though it pains us to see clearly without denial, it is our responsibility to keep the truth alive and on the page or canvas. The chaos outside of us will not end without a paradigmatic shift and this will come through poets such as yourself. We are planting the seeds. And in that there is hope...

Peeking into the future of what may become seems quite philosophical, didn't know you were a seer! Perhaps you could tell me the powerball numbers for the next drawing...almost a frightening write, Bob, but alway interesting to read and think about...Ed & rufuz

Haunting and very powerful. I'm not
sure I want a Peek. ;) Scary a bit.

Jude this is so far removed from your usual writes, deeply profound, but you are right of course. We are like headless children gobbled up in a global culture where idenity has little or no significance hence our insecurities, one can only hope for a brighter future. Superb write my friend.

Paul;-]

Robert,
You don't 'take-on' negative world visions very often, and when you do, they always grab me by the shirt collar and shake me a bit.
Sit back and relax..go to the beach and take a walk..or just simply rest a bit..
No matter what you write you do it with a grand eloquence. Stunning.

Lisa

Kate is right to some degree on this one Jude, first the poem is something else...a great work, but I too detect a slight pessimism unlike you. To use your own comparison though children will also lead us out of this as in all generations Jude they have been the reason for finding a new and better tomorrow. When the world and my own world in particular is at it's bleakest I go play with my grandchildren and there is tomorrows sun. If you don't have grandchildren go to a park and watch them play. We are truly never lost if we let them guide us.

Sorry for being long winded today,

Felix

"Hold me while the boat goes down!"... bit of a Titanic write this, Jude! An unusual tone of pessimism for you, but perhaps you are just "crying wolf" - "Grandma, what big teeth you've got!": Sorry, it's the fairytale (stuff of nightmares, actually) imagery you use; amazing the dingey shadows we feed to our kids as bedtime stories - no wonder we are messed up! Double sorry: I digress. Gotta love Sherry: reckon she and I could happily crew the same ship sailin to somewhere. Our life is ours, for the who and where we are NOW and for the influence the little pebble can have dropped into a pool, its ripples flowing concentric outwards. The "powers that be" will only be moved/removed in their ivory towers when the ripples get so strong that the weight of public opinion forces the prevailing issues. We need to rediscover the power of the individual voice that insists on change, instead of believing that we are disempowered and invisible in a world laughably misnoma-ed "the global village" and where things are somehow unchallengeable and inevitable. No, I can't bend Blair or Bush's ear today, but I can bend yours and maybe YOU can - if you get my drift! One person at a time, there can be sea-change. But only dreamers will dare to believe this truth... Look skywards and see the balloon going up, O Wise One! :)) (How can I be depressed? All I can see is the end of coursework in sight, that's my light today! Don't tell me I've got tunnel vision?!! :) K xx

"...And all I can do is to wallow in the shadows
As I approach the opening in the woods
And take a peek of what may become..."

And it is scary as hell when you really get to thinking about it.

Good work.

Elizabeth

An interesting peek.

Not a pleasant peek at all Robert!!

The world has gone grazy....and we are unfortunely part of the circus!!

Love Tinka

A profound poetic editorial on our rather shaky condition humane. Ocean deep in its emotional intensity and grandly cosmic in its prophectic implications.

Bronx to Beijing Blues. Whazzup, baby? Hope you're no kin to Jeremiah because if you are, you'll be lamenting humanity's condition for quite some time to come. Hope when you peek some sunshine's streaming through. Breathe deeply as you take in the view. Send home a report, a souvenir or two, and sugarcoat nothing. ;-) As always, you're worth the ride. ~~Nordette

you gotta know you're lost to find your way to the magical revelation, right? sounds a little heavy-hearted, but then again I know the feeling of wanting to escape the pain and greed and meaninglessness only to realize I'm lost, too. walk to the light, and when your spirit is lighter tell us what you see. Dawn

Focusing attention on this world is always a downer! You give us many themes to ponder. We must see what surrounds us in order to stay aware of the pitfalls. I know you won't wallow in the shadows for long !Excellent poem!



Alrisha

Now Robert, don't be going all fatalistic on us. LOL! Only the strong survive and only those who have the vision to see through the murky waters of the world situation will realize that happiness is the responsibility of the individual not of the society. Life is difficult, and the easy way to address this is to just do what everyone else does; be depressed and blame all of our unhappiness on someone else, be it a government, crazy people or the leaders. We are the captains of our own ship of dreams and only we can bring that ship into safe harbor and back into the light.
Take care,
Sherry

wonderful write!...