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Open Poetry #38
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Is This Our Heritage?
| Open Poetry #38 |
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Is This Our Heritage? |
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OwlSA Member Rara Avis
since 2005-11-07
Posts 9347Durban, South Africa 
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IS THIS OUR HERITAGE? 21 September 1999 What do I know of your plight? Seven point something on the Richter scale; your breath is suctioned instantaneously; your innards, your family and the floor beneath your feet wrenched from you without warning and thrown around you in explosive blasts of rupturing torture; then hours trapped and pinned in pain and burning anguish; horror, screams, falling rubble; “Come Death come!” you cry. “I can’t, just can’t take any more!” or “Life don’t leave me! Please, please, please help me!” And joy came for an instant - a rescue worker - but he caused you even more pain extricating you; and as if you hadn’t endured enough, because your limbs could move, he merely guided you to a high, unstable, open ladder and left you to confront descent alone - the only route to comparable safety, while he forgot about you in his desire to help the next victim and the next, and the next; then the waiting, the not knowing, the not knowing what to know, with your mind blown away and worst of all later, when you need the most help anonymity will swallow you and what might have been into a swirling vortex with thousands of compatriots and lacerated bits of minds and body parts who are living the death of all the others and I don’t even know your name. That is all I understand, how can I know beyond that, what really happened to you. And you, in a warm comfortable home - mine, no less, when I said during the TV news, “Twelve thousand people destroyed in one earthquake!” - for we hadn’t heard the full toll then, you said, in yet another sweeping, arrogant, dim-witted proclamation, “It’s no big deal. They would all have died at some stage anyway!” Is this what civilisation and warmth and prosperity have brought us? But there is more. That is not the worst of our heritage. The worst is my controlled reaction - instead of throwing you out immediately or at least expressing my contempt of you - to your sick, asinine remark, all I said, in an apologetic tone, was, “Well, it’s still a horrible way to die!” - Owl |
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| © Copyright 2006 Diana van den Berg - All Rights Reserved | |||
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The Lady Member Rara Avis
since 2005-12-26
Posts 7634The Southwest |
Stunning, Diana. What I thought was to be pain caused by a hurricane was indeed pain caused by apathy... well told |
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Honeybunch Member Rara Avis
since 2001-12-29
Posts 7115South Africa |
Good write, Owl! The difficult thing with life is that we are all on different levels of evolution and we're all thrown together to make the best of it. He still has to get to the stage of your love and compassion and these things take time so, under the circumstances, your controlled reaction was perhaps best. Hope you're well.  Helen |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
At times like that, in times like these... for some to have no compassion whatsoever... is many things. Sick...comes to mind. Sick at heart, sick of knowing there are only our helpless hands.. But asinine, indeed, to make remarks such as that....  Thank you for your large heart, Diana. |
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passing shadows Member Empyrean
since 1999-08-26
Posts 45577displaced |
dang what a write! |
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Earth Angel Member Empyrean
since 2002-08-27
Posts 40215Realms of Light |
Owl, well it certainly was not with apathy that you expressed your disdain for apathy! Well stated! Sending you a loving hug, Linda |
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the quell Member
since 2006-07-19
Posts 144Liverpool, UK |
Owl, this was truly thought-provoking. You display a truly deep-seated intelligence and passion for the subject; I'm still reeling. They aren't flaps; they're my face! |
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Martie
Moderator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-09-21
Posts 28049California |
I think some people close their hearts to avoid seeing the way you do....not knowing that such empathy, though it hurts, heals. |
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OwlSA Member Rara Avis
since 2005-11-07
Posts 9347Durban, South Africa |
Thank you, Kate. As always, you are spot on! Thank you Helen. You were right about most of it. However, the part about him evolving further - it is very unlikely that he will grow much (if any) more. There was a time when I thought he had, but it was only a show. I have known him for too many years to think otherwise. He really has had his last chance with me (he has had several "last" chances, but I simply find him boring now). Yes, thanks, Helen. I hope you are fine too and not freezing too much in JHB. Yes, Karilea, many things. Pitiable, comes to mind when I feel kindly (or anything at all) towards him. Asinine yes - except that I adore donkeys and hate the way I used the term. Thanks for the dang, Dixie! Thanks, Linda. Although Helen is right about my response to him having been the best under the circumstances, you are right too about the poem not being apathetic. (Another poem - My Parting Gift - I wrote him and posted quite a while ago, was most certainly not apathetic either! I could still kick myself for having been so polite in my response. I must admit, I had it out with him some years later, in one of his further chances! Thank you, the quell. Sometimes I think my passion for life gets me into too much trouble! Other times I kick myself for not invoking it (passion, not life)! Martie, you are very wise. Sometimes I, also, close my heart to avoid seeing things when they are too big to digest, but you are so right, empathy is very healing. Perhaps that is one of the keys to my extraordinary health, that I do nothing consciously or intentionally to attain, but is just there. - Owl |
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Artic Wind Member Rara Avis
since 2007-09-16
Posts 8080Realm of Supernatural |
Nice poem i love it i have just joined and i wanted to look back at the old poems posted ARCTIC WIND |
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OwlSA Member Rara Avis
since 2005-11-07
Posts 9347Durban, South Africa |
Thank you, Artic Wind. Glad you enjoyed it. I saw your name in Open 41, but as it is nearly dark (if you look at my "The Fear of Not Fearing" or something similar - I'm not sure if I got my title right! - you will understand my current history) I was only reading poets I know. I will try to read one of yours soon. - Owl |
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