A wealthy man is touched by the plight of the poor and needy.
Swimming with my clothes on trying not to drown.
Pockets full of gold and jewels threaten to pull me down.
Swimming with my clothes on, land beyond my sight.
Reaching for the sand below, alas I lack the height.
Swimming with my clothes on, bag slung on my back.
All my fine possessions in that worthy sack.
Swimming with my clothes on, fear I cannot cope.
‘Til I spy straight ahead, a lonely boat called hope.
In the boat a pitiful sight.
Young children, cold, alone.
My heart aches for their wretched plight.
No longer heart of stone.
Their tiny faces know despair.
They’re freezing, turning blue.
Take my jewellery, take my fare
And take my clothing too.
Swimming with no clothes on, buoyed up with elation.
A product I, (with cares no more,) of my own creation.
Swimming with no clothes on, cutting through a wave.
Memories of those lonely souls I surely helped to save.
Swimming with no clothes on, weighed down no more by greed.
I gave away those precious goods I surely didn’t need.
Swimming with no clothes on, finally touching sand.
My cares all gone, I saw the light and finally understand.
A great metaphor for the political climate of today. While the very rich get richer and pileup heavy weighing possessions, much of society is going underwater with bills exceeding their meager incomes.
From First Love to its destructive end and on to new beginnings, Mary Angela Nangini's poems explore the birth and death of a relationship. The powerful poems are presented in two parts with an introduction to her next book My Ontario Beautiful. (Th
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Jane
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