The Taking & The Giving

Parallel views of the same world, depending on the eyes you look through and the response you have to what you see. Our future is yet to be determined.

The Taking

Beautiful young men cut short their lives
to Take the Others to their own demise.
Families shattered by hatred and grief
then Take up Arms in hope of relief.
Gravestones gather to mock us as fools;
governments argue, make tighter their rules.
On and on will the Taking occur,
reducing our numbers, thinning the herd.

For generations the trees stood tall,
forest eyes witnessing humankind's fall.
Ashamed and greedy, we axe them all down,
redwoods, orchards, reduced to new towns.
Mechanical death deafens our ears,
while small creatures cry what should be our tears.
The Taking spreads out from land to sea;
we advance weapons, Others cease to be.

We gather the gemstones, rock and ore
to build better cities- still we want more.
The cancer of Taking infects all groups;
we mount our defenses, call out the troops.
Alive, thriving, the Taking begins
to merge with our pride, as we count our wins.
On and on will the Taking occur
until no outcry is left to be heard.


The Giving

Aspiring students dream futures bright;
A Giving teacher grades papers each night.
He sees thirsty minds, the questions they pose-
open, willing, he shares what he knows.
Parents sit with their children to read,
instilling good values, what they will need
to trade hurt for kindness when struck down,
and help rebuild a community town.

A child delights in the garden grown
in a simple backyard, the seeds are sown
for a vision that keeps the land in trust,
and people willing to readjust.
She passes on the gifts of her days
to hungry friends, and they follow her ways.
A tiny ripple in a small pond
becomes a movement, the people respond.

We gather the ones whose homes are gone,
pool our resources, together press on.
A spirit of Giving gathers much power;
those who have much see this is their hour.
Alive, thriving, the Giving begins
to merge with our pride, reverse all our sins.
On and on will the Giving occur
until no outcry is left to be heard.

Author's Note

You can't really read one without the other- I chose to put the Giving last to end on a hopeful note. i consider this unfinished- don't particularly like all of the meter and rhyme, but the concept of parallel polarized views intrigues me. Which one do you most see in your life?

Reviews

[. serah .]

~ i majored in history so i tend to zoom out and lean on the aerial view for a better understanding of the world... ~ the first part of your post reminds me of ISIS and all the brainwashing that goes on to make people harm others in the name of a rather dysfunctional view of religion... ~ the second part of your post reminds me of sanity which thrives despite the insanity of brainwashed behaviour... ~ ultimately sanity prevails... ~ for instance, despite the concentration camps in germany, most sane people understand that what Hitler did was wrong/evil/insane/dysfunctional... ~ at the time, however, there were many involved in committing atrocities but today no one sane identifies with Hitler... ~ similarly, we may not live to see the day, but no one sane will be able to relate to ISIS some decades from now...

[Marianne Rose]

I like that you take the optimistic view, and identify the source of all atrocities as an act of loyalty holistically to that which brainwashes- be it a person or an ideology. I hope there will be a day like you see, like I hope for. But it does seem like Hitlers rise and fall with a kind of phased rhythm, and for that phase, there are a lot of people taken in by whoever or whatever that is, and a lot of harm done. You say no one sane identifies with him- here in my country, there must be pockets of insanity then, because we have folks that still gather round his ideology with the intent to purge others not in line with them- Neo-nazi's are still alive in America. But mostly I see the good that will prevail over the bad, like you.

[. serah .]

~ there are pockets of insanity here too (of a different kind)... but history reveals that pockets shrink over large spans of time... and human beings become wiser and smarter at identifying insanity... ~ we have the second largest population of muslims and they condemn ISIS openly and call it unislamic... and that gives me immense hope... ~ thank you for your attentive replies to my thoughts... appreciate it...

[Marianne Rose]

Yes, there are extremists in every religion, in every group - you're right, they are small compared with the larger numbers of sane people. They just make the news more often, so their impact is blown out of proportion, until as you say, one can take the longer, higher view of history.

[. serah .]

~ yes... that's precisely what i meant... thank you for being so receptive to seeing my perspective...

[Inject Positivity]

You have done it again! Wow! Wow! Wow!

The concept is mind blowing... I wish we had a day when your second part of the poem will rise over the first part... Even though I know it's simply not possible to have only good instead of both good and bad, but I'm hopeful with this dream that there will be a day(maybe for a day) we will be able to cherish only the light of this world...

To your author's note: I think these kind of topics has always something to say more because we all bring new ways to it but the important part of your poem is that it covers the most important areas and gives us the hint of the two sides of life, the dark and light...

Your way of showing the reader what you feel is marvelous and I'm glad you are keep on doing this... Your mindset always connects me to the core...

Sincerely
Dhiman

[Marianne Rose]

My dear friend, you are so kind and enthusiastic in your reviews- it makes me smile. I'm so glad you liked the hints at dark and light- just enough to convey a sense of each view- and yes, I also wish there could be just one day of global peace and goodwill, everyone invested in life-affirming acts of kindness. What a day that would be! But there are enough glimmers of small miracles if we see them, and for now, that will have to be enough. Thank you for your wonderful review!

[Inject Positivity]

Very true, hope is our window to see the possibilities of life which our human eyes can never see... May be there will be a day when peace and happiness will be the one and only thing that will take place in this world... It's my pleasure to be able to see your shining path with poetry...

[LastMonth]

Black and White.
Moon and Sun.
Fire and Water.
Bad, and, -gasp- also Good?

There's something about writing that draws our negativity. We want to push out all the things that anger us. The ability to manuver around all that and see both the greatness in life and the darkness in it is a trait not common enough in this world.

I really, really appreciated the second part of your poem.
Not that the first was bad, it was rather well written. But it wasn't that special, many people talk about it. Many people discuss the henious crimes we commit,

But not enough can see beyond that, can see the unimaginable miracles all around us,
A child learning to ride a bycicle, an elderly women feeding no less then three families of cats in her yard, war veterans who get to share their stories with teenagers who are geniuenly interested in their well being.

The marks of a good poem or story is that it make us think,
And in that regard you scored an A+.

[Marianne Rose]

What a wonderful and thought-provoking review! Thank you. Yes, the bad is all around us, and it is that which consumes our attention, draws us into its stories. The good doesn't often make the papers unless some extraordinary hero comes forth bigger than life. The world is filled with little miracles we don't even notice. They don't seem to amount to much when held up against the dramatic tragedies. But taken all together, they are far more frequent and everywhere, if we have eyes to see them. Thank you for your reflections, and for taking the time to let this one bring your own thoughts to the surface to share.

[H.L. Cerveise]

You did a good thing by putting them both together. The meter and the rhyme are not important in this writing. I am a strong believer in showing opposites in a writing or series of writings. I also feel a positive ending is equally as important. You have done all this very well. As to the question which one do I most see in life, I must say I see both equally. Of course like the giving part more; however, I realize the taking part must exist for the giving part to have meaning.

Well done.

[Marianne Rose]

Thank you HL, I'd like to say I live in the second world, but I definitely straddle both most of the time. Sometimes it gives me whiplash (Lol). I had to end with the positive. I know you hold the belief that both are part of the equation- can't have one without the other. But I can hope, can't I? It may not make logical sense to have light without darkness- in Alaska, some folks can't sleep without the balanced rhythms of light and dark- but I sure wish I had an opportunity to experience the second world more comprehensively- if only for a day. Thank you for your wonderful review.

[Bharathi]

I just liked the second and third stance. Especially I liked "The cancer of taking infects all groups" . If everyone of us have the same thought Mother Nature can be protected!

[Marianne Rose]

Yes, for sure! If only we could identify the disease, and then stand together to cure it. Thank you for reading this, and for your reflections on what resonates with you.

[Bharathi]

All my English teachers inspired me a lot. You use simple language but got deep meanings. I joined this site only yesterday. I'm glad that you accepted my request. Thank you! Marianne

[Celie Rose]

As for the taking, through my eyes I see the world in crisis and hope is slowly fading.There is always a glimmer of hope for those who sincerely want it. Too much violence, hate and indifference. Selfish desire and greed. I see the war, the bloodshed, the injustice, nature's deterioration, plants, animals, trees, lakes and oceans. Not sure if any positive change will make a difference. I feel so uncertain. I often ask myself where did the love go. I am a firm believer that change will come one day. Unfortunately it will not be by man's hand. God makes everything possible.

[Marianne Rose]

Thank you for your reflections and sharing what you see in the world- I agree all the greed has consumed our ability as a species to see right from wrong- no species would so desecrate their own members and the habitat they need to continue to thrive. It seems "intelligence" has turned against us- we are inventive creatures too often turning our imaginations toward the dark calling of power. Love is out there, and in us- can we cultivate it enough to turn the tide? It seems to show up in such small ways compared to what hate brews. I am a believer, like you, so I too believe with God all things are possible. If only we could subdue arrogance enough collectively to ask for help- God would answer, does answer. Instead we fight over who God is and what he requires of us. This is the world I often live in. But I catch glimmers of the Giving that give me hope, as I am meant to have as part of my calling to this world. It was easier to write the Taking than the Giving- that says something about how hard it is to see love when we are barraged by other images every day. Your review is thought-provoking and very appreciated. Thanks for giving your time and heart to reading this.

[Celie Rose]

Thank you for your insightful thoughts. I appreciate it.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i like the giving part of this...and then to think....we build cities, we grow gardens, we got to school to learn and become smarter...and then we go to war because someone says it is necessary...

and we lose so many who would benefit from the giving.

really sad...

if only we could give without taking!

excellently crafted poem.

j.

[Marianne Rose]

Thank you for sharing your perspective and for your kind words about the poem itself. Yes, it does seem like the giving happens as part of our highest intentions- to teach, to leave legacies, to find ways to live harmoniously with the earth by learning how to work with the soil, to set ideals to carry us forward with generations to come . . . And then, another war, another draft, or war on the streets that strips young people of achieving education and having dreams to live purposeful lives. Or poverty that deprives people of basic skills to advance and thrive. This does seem to be a place of opposites- kept in the right balance, we could thrive again. I wish we could give without taking- I wonder what that world would really look like? Thank you for your reflections and responsiveness to this poem.