What I Would Tell You
What I would tell you
is that sometimes Karma is quick
and penance is far too long.
If I could redeem myself with truth
what I would say is this:
that I listened but I did not hear.
What I would tell you
if I could look you in the eye
is that I can finally see myself
in mirrors, as I am, as I’m seen,
and am forced to believe in ghosts;
that I’ve heard, at last, your voice uncoded;
that I’ve wakened suddenly in my skin
and measured the breadth of shame.
Keywords:
About Ron.
(Sample published work at: EGGS OVER TOKYO)(Live blog at: SCRAMBLED, NOT FRIED)(Prose-ish at: SIX SENTENCES) Ron. started reading and writing poetry seriously in the late '60s, when a floral-necktied student teacher dumped a bunch of books on his desk, one of...
Connections
Ron.’s Favorite Books
These categories are impossible.
Ron. is a fan of
Ron, Love the last thought,
Ron,
Love the last thought, especially.
"...that I’ve wakened suddenly in my skin
and measured the breadth of shame."
Can't help but wonder:What did you do?!
Jodi
Please, Jodi, isn't it
Please, Jodi, isn't it enough that the price is still being paid? Must one openly confess particulars? Would you?
Still, I'm pleased that you responded. Thanks.
". . .sometimes Karma is
". . .sometimes Karma is quick and penance is far too long"
Yes, and the reverse is true, too. :-(
Thanks for responding
Thanks for responding Ellen. I'm glad I'm not the one who has to hand out penances. I'd be everyone's least favorite confessor.
I'm more of a Karma sorta guy anyway; let the Universe hand out the consequences.
Me, too, Ron. I'm not a
Me, too, Ron. I'm not a very vengeful sort. When confronted with evil and other maliciousness, I tend to back away and let the universe handle the person(s) responsible for it. Don't understand the "joy" some people take in doing otherwise. Would make me feel as though I joined those folks in the race to the bottom.
Boomerang
Let the boomerang hit back the sender!
Hombre
..that I can finally see
..that I can finally see myself in mirrors.........Ron, really good work-so that's what you've been up to. Bravo. M
Yeah, that and saving the
Yeah, that and saving the world from destruction by idiots.
Thanks.
--Ron.
Ron, I like the
Ron,
I like the straightforwardness of this poem.
About Karma and penance, I wonder if we tend to feel positive to a foreign counter word. For certain situations, foreign words make it lighter in our heart even if the dictionary says the meaning is the same. Both Karma and penance are foreign words to me, but when Americans say Karma, I noticed that their faces light up. Penance, I almost never heard Americans use it. Maybe I’m not paying enough attention to it. So I looked up the dictionary, and to me, penance sounds as though it belongs to a spooky dungeon.
Penance is used quite a bit
Penance is used quite a bit within the Catholic faith. Perhaps that's why so few of us want to use it in other contexts. :-)
And so it does, Keiko, so it
And so it does, Keiko, so it does. Prisons were (sometimes still are) called penitentiaries: where the evil-doer was sent to serve penance.
Remorse
Remorse for wrong doing is the sign that we have grown in wisdom and that for which we feel remorse ,no longer exists.With remorse we have pushed the"delete"button.
Hmmm...
I don't know that remorse deletes much, Hombre, but it's certainly a sure sign of humanity, provided it's remorse for the action, not remorse for having to suffer the consequences.
Love your new look.
Ron and Ellen, This is very
Ron and Ellen,
This is very interesting. Thank you.
I hope we continue importing foreign words to counter the darkside of our cultures. In this endeavor, we, global citizens, can help each other. This is a good subject for the newly created club by Luciana:
http://www.redroom.com/clubs/the-pangea-society