I know that I have talked about things from a woman’s point of view (because I am a woman), but I want to talk about something a little different here. Firstly, I wanted to share this quote by Oprah Winfrey (I found this quote in Demi’s book in her entry on July 13th). “So go ahead. Fall down. The world looks different from the ground.” I know that we have all fallen down and I know that I am included in that as well. What we have to do is to either see things from the ground up when we fall or to pick ourselves up. I know that we are more than capable of picking ourselves up, but I know that it be sometimes hard to do so. Sometimes it is harder to see things from the ground up.
One thing I have learned (especially writing this blog and my poetry) is to see things from a different perspective. I know I see things from being a white, single female, but maybe it is time to see things from a guy’s point of view or an older or a younger person’s point of view (and I have written from all of those points of view or at least I have tried to). There is nothing wrong with the women in this world, but I just feel like men get ignored and dissed (not always on purpose by the way). I thought it would be interesting to write things from a guy’s point of view because sometimes their point of view can be way different or they may not be so different after all. They may or may not want the same things as us. Point of views can be unusual and unique in a way.
So I want my readers to think about things from a different perspective because you never know what the other person might be thinking or feeling. What I am saying to be open and willing to interpretation. There is a book I read when I was in middle school, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” written by Harper Lee and there is this quote in there that we can all relate to (said by Scout’s dad, Atticus Finch). What he says is “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view – until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” If you have not read this book, I would highly recommend it. In the end, I hope that you all enjoy these poems written from a different point of view and to never judge someone because you may not really know them (ties hand in hand with my post about no judgements). There is so much we can learn from other people. Happy reading!! P.S. I thought I would showcase at least two different points of view.
Staying Away
It hurts to see that she still chooses
Me every time, no matter if I try to
Steer her in another direction
Towards someone who is more
Stable and can provide for her
More than I can. Someone who
Cannot hurt her like I can.
Someone who is more deserving
Of her than I am. She does not seem
To care or even notice any of it.
She is so stubborn. Does she
Not realize that I already have a
Reputation? I am already a
Heartbreaker. I am too bad for her
Maybe even too bad for someone
Who is too good like her. She is
Determined to save and change
Me for the better. I do not need any
Of that. What I want is for her
To steer clear away from me.
But she cannot stay away from me.
She is drawn to me like a magnet.
I know how fragile girls like her
Can be. They say that they are
Strong and that they can
Handle anything when I know that
They can break just like that
Into thousands of tiny pieces.
That is easier to deal with.
It is less complicated
And is not so messy. I do not want
Her to see just how messed
Up that I am. I do not want her
To realize how much time I am
A waste for her to deal with.
She could be out, having fun
For once yet she wants to
Draw out all of my pent up emotions
That I try to hide from her. It does not
Work. She can see right through
The façade, the tough exterior
To see the torment and anger
That I have. I want to deal with it
Without her around. I do not want
Her to try to make it all better.
She does not deserve someone
So broken, so damaged like me.
That is why I try to push her away.
All of that closeness is too
Much to deal with.
Burnt to the Ground
My eyes flash in terror
To only think that my home,
My town, so beloved and
So sacred. Growing up
And staying with my friends
As kids normally do. Only to
Get destroyed and burnt
Down. I only wish that I
Could call out to my momma,
My everything since poppa
Left us. I want her to take me
Up in her arms, to tell me how
To get rid of the monsters.
If only she, my savior of
Another could protect me now,
To tell me more of her stories
That help me sleep at night.
More of those monsters
Are coming, killing every
Last one of us, not caring
That we were children.
They come, running towards
Me. Their guns and other
Weapons, reflecting in the
Flames, already threatening
To burn down my home, my
Sense of protection. As they
Closer, they remind me of the
Monsters that used to scare me.
My heart starts to beat faster.
My legs want to move as far
Away as I can. But suddenly,
I hear the words of my momma
Telling me to not be afraid.
It’s time to stop fighting and to
Just let go. That’s what I did.
I let go because I know
Anywhere else would be better
Than this place. Better than
Going on living with pain,
With suffering, knowing that
I lost everything. I know that
I will be reunited with
My momma and the rest of
Those who died, watching
Those who survived, knowing
That those horrid people
Killing and taking away
Innocent lives will never be
Able to live a peaceful life.
They will forever be haunted
By the ghosts of the children,
Of the men and women who
Didn’t deserve to die.
Another P.S. In case if my readers cannot figure it out, the first poem (“Staying Away”) is from a guy’s point of view and the second one (“Burnt to the Ground”) was inspired when I went to a small town in France (it’s mostly ruins now) where a lot of kids were killed. Unfortunately many kids died in what is called the “Oradour-sur-Glane massacre” (I believe that’s the one I am talking about). That is from the point of view of one of the kids (imaginary in my head) who died in that massacre.