What You See

What You See by Brooke Samerson

You see darkness,
Anger,
Misery,
Laziness.
Do you know what happened last night?
His father beat his mother, right before his eyes.

You see shyness,
Quiet,
Sorrow,
Loneliness.
Do you know where her father is?
He was sent to Afghanistan 3 weeks ago; no one's heard of him since.

You see a strained smile,
Pain,
Worry
Fake .
Do you know what happened to her?
Her mother's on heroin.

You see evil,
Anger,
Resentment
Revenge.
Do you know what happened to his sister?
His friends raped her when they were asked to watch her.

You see ugliness,
Scars,
Bruises,
Hurt.
Do you know what her foster father did to her?
He'd been drinking; he beat her with a bottle.

You see her, him, them.
You see what you see,
But let them see a smile,
Beauty,
Love,
Happiness
Who knows?
It could be the last thing they see.

I wrote this poem because I find it interesting how little you know about someone on the surface. The boy everyone teases could be deeply depressed. The girl you dislike could be abused. I think that we need to be more loving as people, because we never know what someone is battling- we only know them from what we see. Behind closed doors, they could be in every imaginable scenario, and we'd never know from what we see at school or work.

Where Is The Love by the Black Eyed Peas

What's wrong with the world, mama
People livin' like they ain't got no mamas
I think the whole world addicted to the drama
Only attracted to things that'll bring you trauma
Overseas, yeah, we try to stop terrorism
But we still got terrorists here livin'
In the USA, the big CIA fightin'
The Bloods and The Crips and the KKK
But if you only have love for your own race
Then you only leave space to discriminate
And to discriminate only generates hate
And when you hate then you're bound to get irate, yeah
Madness is what you demonstrate
And that's exactly how anger works and operates
Man, you gotta have love just to set it straight
Take control of your mind and meditate
Let your soul gravitate to the love, y'all, y'all

   I find it interesting that they say that if you only have love for your own race, you cause discrimination, which leads to hate. That is so true. If I only look out for my own people, that leaves billions who aren't like me. Billions who may not look like me, who are people just the same. The song says you need to "have love to set it straight". If we loved one another, and stopped looking at color and culture, we'd realize that problems can be solved. Its almost like what happened in Rwanda. The people spent so much time trying to kill anyone who was "too light", that they didn't take into account that they could use these innocent people to make the struggling country a better place.

People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach
And would you turn the other cheek

Father, Father, Father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love (Love)

Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love
The love, the love

It just ain't the same, always unchanged
New days are strange, is the world insane
If love and peace is so strong
Why are there pieces of love that don't belong
Nations droppin' bombs
Chemical gasses fillin' lungs of little ones
With ongoin' sufferin' as the youth die young
So ask yourself is the lovin' really gone
So I could ask myself really what is goin' wrong
In this world that we livin' in people keep on givin'
in

 

"Is the world insane"? Is it? Its kind of scary when you take into account all of the bad things that have happened, all of the madmen set on killing. Its interesting how the song says that in this world, people keep on giving in. Are we giving into the craziness around us by acting like its okay? Or are we giving in by being bystanders and not upstanders?

Makin' wrong decisions, only visions of them dividends
Not respectin' each other, deny thy brother
A war is goin' on but the reason's undercover
The truth is kept secret, it's swept under the rug
If you never know truth then you never know love
Where's the love, y'all, come on (I don't know)
Where's the truth, y'all, come on (I don't know)
Where's the love, y'all

  We really are people who are severely bent on money. Some people will do anything for money- sell little girls, cheat people, rob their own families. It's actually quite sickening how money has become so important to us, we're willing to lose our humanity to obtain it.

People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach
And would you turn the other cheek

Father, Father, Father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love (Love)

Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love, the love, the love?

I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder
As I'm gettin' older, y'all, people gets colder
Most of us only care about money makin'
Selfishness got us followin' our wrong direction
Wrong information always shown by the media
Negative images is the main criteria
Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria
Kids wanna act like what they see in the cinema
Yo', whatever happened to the values of humanity
Whatever happened to the fairness in equality
Instead of spreading love we're spreading animosity
Lack of understanding, leading lives away from unity
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' under
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' down
There's no wonder why sometimes I'm feelin' under
Gotta keep my faith alive till love is found
Now ask yourself

I remember my dad telling me that children's minds were like sponges. If you raise a child in a world of loving, caring people, chances are, monkey see, monkey do- they'll be loving people as they age.
Sadly, however, if a child is raised watching angry parents, they'll be filled with rage. If they sit in front of a TV all day, watching music videos that degrade women, they'll be the same way when they get older. That's why kids need to see LOVE, so that when they're older, they'll spread LOVE.

Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?

Father, Father, Father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love?

Sing wit me y'all:
One world, one world (We only got)
One world, one world (That's all we got)
One world, one world
And something's wrong wit it (Yeah)
Something's wrong wit it (Yeah)
Something's wrong wit the wo-wo-world, yeah
We only got
(One world, one world)
That's all we got
(One world, one world)

 

I find this song very interesting. We spend so much of our time fighting, debating, and all this other stuff that we don't stop to see the real problem in this world. People have forgotten to love. What happened to kids playing on the streets and being JUST FINE? What happened to "loving thy neighbor"? Now, all we do is think of ourselves, how WE can make money, how WE can be powerful and successful. We need to LOVE to to solve problems, LOVE to truly understand eachother. We need to love, so we can be loved.

In God We Trust

        I read two articles,  "Atheist Newdow Ditches Six Year Anti - 'Under God' Pledge of Allegiance Lawsuit" and "Atheists File Lawsuit over 'God' Engravings".  Being a Christian, I admit that I may have a level of bias regarding this issue.
        Our nation is known for being a melting pot. A Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Christian or Atheist can live in this country, all having equal, unalienable rights. While our country was being built, there were several issues with the separation of Church and State. The United States decided that the Church (religion) should be separate from the State (government). Despite this, however, the nation remains with the majority religious. So is it wrong for God to be put in our National Anthem or on our currency? I don't think so. When Church and State were separated, people were still in the Church; religion was not exterminated.
        Many nonreligious people believe that their rights are being denied when "In God we Trust" is put on government property. I honestly wouldn't care if it was taken from our currency. However, the United States of America is FILLED with religious people, and America will probably stay that way.
        To be honest, I feel like religious people are often being denied a level of freedom. Why CAN'T I pray in school? I'm not FORCING anyone else to do so, its between me, and God. In life, I'm going to come across every type of person, and we're all Americans. If having God involved in America is such a problem, we might as well go back in time and make all of the founding fathers Atheist or Agnostic. I'm not saying its wrong to want to keep religion and government separated, but the time spent trying to get rid of God in things can be spent trying to FIX the problems of this nation. God isn't a social issue, to me, its the lack of people being free to express God in any way shape, or form that IS an issue. Only 16% of America claims to be nonreligious. So what about the other 84%?
           Atheists can't prove there isn't a God no matter how hard they try. And if the nation says they TRUST IN GOD, the nation TRUSTS IN GOD. No matter how many lawsuits are filed or petitions are signed, the United States of America TRUSTS IN GOD, and frankly, I'm okay with that.

Two Voice Poem

   

Mother,  Daughter

I had Leila at age 14.

I didn't meet my real mother until I was 14.

                                              
I'VE HAD TOO MANY SLEEPLESS NIGHTS

I try not to remember that night or who her father was, but every time my eyes close, I go back.
Every night in someone else's home, I wonder why my mom didn't keep me.

I CANNOT FORGET

She was of my own flesh, but how could I keep the child that reminded me of the hurt within me? There was no way I could look in her eyes and not see her father in them, too.

I was told to forget the past, but somehow I couldn't forget that I was left on a doorstep with nothing but my name on a Post-It and a cheap blanket.

I WANT TO FORGET

I want Leila back, but will she ever forgive me?

I want to see my mom, to know her, but can I ever forgive her?

She IS my daughter; I'm older now.

She IS my mother; I'm older now.

I CAN FORGET THE PAST

The Farming of Bones by Edwidge Danticat

         I have just started this book, yet I have found several strong themes in it. One of those themes is family. The main character, Amabelle, was a Haitian orphan, taken home by wealthy Dominicans. They saw her sitting by the river where her parents had both drowned before her eyes. They raised her, and she worked as their maid. As Amabelle grew older, she saw a conflicting loyalty for her own people and for those who raised her.
         At the time of this book, 1937, Haitians often moved to the Dominican Republic to work for wealthier Dominicans. They would be maids, cut cane, or help farm other crops. Amabelle was only 8 when she went to live with the family she thought of as her own. I noticed the conflicting loyalty when Sebastien, Amabelle's boyfriend said, "Who are these people to you?"........."Do you think they're family?" (110). It seems that Sebastien felt that these Dominicans shouldn't be "family" to Amabelle.
       I find this interesting, how people want to be "owned", whether it's by a family name, a race, a culture, a religion. People are forever profiling themselves, put themselves into a category. Amabelle was stuck in the middle. She loved her people, Haitians, and she also loved her "family", and those in that household. This quote from the book also shows this, '"Papi paid one of the boys at the riverside to interpret for him while he asked you who you belonged to. And you pointed to yourself. Do you remember?" I remembered."' (91). Amabelle belonged to herself.

Social Action Poems

A People by Brooke Samerson

Kick me,

Beat me,

Kill me with your ways,

But I’ll walk to brighter days.

Try me,

Convict me,

Punish me,

Hurt me

But I’ll sing; my song lives on

Hang me,

Lynch me,

Trick me,

Detain me,

Deport me,

But I’m going to smile; I won’t change.

I’m a people,

A people with a history thick as a rug,

Muffled as an old song,

Rich as gold,

Sad as rain.

But those days are gone,

And I’m a new people.

A people with hope,

A people walking to the future.

A people smiling all day,

A people singing a new song.

And we people are not wrong.

Don’t judge me by my color,

Or blame me for my shame. 

I’ve walked a long, long way.

I’m not tired now, the road’s not done.

But for now, I’ll walk towards the rising sun.

I’m a people, going somewhere from nowhere.

The Help

The Help Helped Me

       I finished The Help by Kathryn Stockett for my 4^th time. Every time I’ve read this book, I found something new in it. This time, I learned from Skeeter, the author of the book Help which the real book The Help is about.

          Skeeter was a recent college graduate living in Mississippi in the 1960’s. She spent her days writing, hearing her mother’s complaints, and going to play bridge with other wealthy White women, and going to country clubs. After writing about something she believed in, she was alone. She decided to go against Hilly Holbrook, a powerful socialite who was once her friend. People who used to be her “friends” now wouldn’t speak to her. Then, she wrote a book on the lives of colored housekeepers and their opinions on their bosses. Many people sought to destroy the lives of her and the housekeepers. One of the housekeepers, Minny, was especially impacted. Her husband was fired after a complaint from Hilly’s husband. Later, Stuart, Skeeter’s boyfriend, ended the relationship after she admitted to writing the book.

          By then, after losing my friends, my social life, and my boyfriend, I might have given up the cause I was fighting for- Skeeter didn’t. Often in life, we put what others will think over what is really the right thing. Skeeter’s life was becoming miserably lonely and sad. In order to write the book that went against the beliefs of her neighbors, she had to lose friends. Writing Help wasn’t a major benefit for Skeeter. She didn’t need the little money she received. The book was written anonymously, so fame wasn’t what she sought. Skeeter sought a change. She could’ve gone on with the racist, mean, phony friends she had, she could’ve married Stuart and she could’ve kept her thoughts and desires inside like so many people do. Writing the book was a personal accomplishment. It showed what so few people do in their lives; risk everything for a fight they believe in. I found that this quote shows the beginning of Skeeter’s rebellion against the ways of those around her: ‘“A bill that requires every White home to have a separate bathroom for the colored help. I’ve even notified the surgeon general to see if he’ll endorse the idea. I pass." Miss Skeeter, she frowning at Miss Hilly. She set her cards down faceup and say matter-a-fact. “Maybe we ought to just build you a bathroom outside, Hilly.” And Law, do that room get quiet.”’ This shows that Skeeter was standing up to Hilly’s racist beliefs with comedy. Later, Miss Hilly threatened to fire her.