THE COLD WITHIN (Author unknown)

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deleeme
Senior Member

since 1999-10-09

Posts 1766
NEW ENGLAND, USA

0 posted 2000-02-27 08:46 AM

(A caring stranger shared this with me through an e-mail. I inquired about it's source, but that was not known. I felt compelled to share it's timely message with you, my friends in this forum)

Six humans are trapped by happenstance
in the dark and bitter cold,
each one possessed a stick of wood,
or so the story's told.
Their dying fire in need of logs,
the first woman held hers back,
for on the faces around the fire,
she noticed one was black.
The next man looking cross the way,
saw one not of his church,
and couldn't bring himself to give,
the fire his stick of birch.
The third one sat in his tattered clothes,
he gave his coat a hitch,
why should his log be put to use,
to warm the idle rich.
The rich man just sat back and thought,
of the wealth he had in store,
and how to keep what he had earned,
from the lazy, shiftless poor.
The black man's face bespoke revenge,
as the fire passed from sight,
for all he saw in stick of wood
was a chance to spite the white.
The last man of this forlorn group,
did naught except for gain,
giving only to those who gave,
was how he played the game.
The logs held tight in deaths still hands,
was proof of human sin,
they didn't die from the cold without,
they died from the cold within.

"Our Creativity points to a Higher Creator--we couldn't have just happened, and for what ability we may possess--to God be the glory." -dlw-

BSC

Moderator

Member Elite

since 2000-02-04

Posts 2919
New York, USA

1 posted 2000-02-27 09:08 AM

Wow, if there isn't a lesson in this, I don't know where we would find one. We all need to take care of each other and share all that we have been given...Thanks so much for posting this it has, as so many poems here do, made me realize much.

ellie LeJeune
Member Elite

since 2000-01-10

Posts 4156
King of Prussia, PA USA

2 posted 2000-02-27 09:36 AM

David, this was positively chilling! The scariest part of all, is that there are too many with this horrific mentality. No wonder that St. Paul says to pray without ceasing, the world needs our prayers. A similar story; Everyone at a banquet table in heaven were only given spoons with very long handles so the only way to not go hungry was to feed one another..... Thanks David..ellie

02

WhtDove
Member Rara Avis

since 1999-07-22

Posts 9245
Illinois

3 posted 2000-02-28 10:12 AM

I might attribute this to the mood I'm in, but this brought me tears. It is so sad, and still so alive in today's world.

Thank you for sharing this David!

sandgrain
Member Elite

since 1999-09-21

Posts 3662
Sycamore, IL, USA

4 posted 2000-02-28 04:05 PM

A perfect analogy of where hautiness leads, in wonderful poetic form. Thank you for sharing it.

LoveBug

Moderator

Member Elite

since 2000-01-08

Posts 4697

5 posted 2000-02-28 04:46 PM

This is a haunting poem, and a very true one. I'm going to send this to everyone I know. Thank you for sharing it with us!

"To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world"

Alle'cram
Senior Member

since 2000-02-28

Posts 1816
Texas

6 posted 2000-02-29 04:33 PM

This is wonderful and so powerful. What a message. The sad thing is, this is how the world is today, least we our ways. Thanks for sharing this beautiful poem of truth.
God Bless
Alle'cram

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