upended

sometimes the way you imagined things to be is not so

I was once
where you stand.
I am naked
and shoeless now,
presumptions
stripped away;
arrogance
no longer my cloak.

                              everything
                              I believed
                              has been
                              upended,
                              and there
                              is no longer
                              a gavel
                              in my hand.

Author's Note

Reviews

[Einstein Noodle]

hallelujah! and let freedom ring!! i love this poem ...goode stuff to take with me today ..no gavel, no clothes, no presumptive things to disappoint! well done says i! straight forward, honest elegance in your use of the language ... that's what i say anyway ..nice one!

E.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

and when we reach that point that we are without judgment, our verdict will be peace, contentment, love for self and others...

oh my, this is a good leaning in that direction.

[Lyn Anderson]

The trick then becomes to not judge the judgmental people.:)

[redzone]

first I like how you are expressing changing your views with the metaphors "shoeless" and "naked" and no longer with the "gavel" there is a good coherence in this..

I am always amazed at how so often people say human nature and mean a fixed never to change way of being and thinking.. this is so silly when no one goes through life with the same ideas or being, no one!!! we constantly learn, have new experiences and change our point of views... or as you say gave up the judgements and gavel and arrogance... we human are capable of many and varied emotions and natures.. and often at the same time as well...

arrogance is never good, even if we are correct in our views... KL I think you have written a really good poem, provocative and artful... way cool

redzone

[Lyn Anderson]

Thank you. There is no such thing, in my opinion, as a fixed point of view. I campaigned for Right to Life once. Then I lived in a place where desperate 11 year olds faced illegal abortion and 20 years in prison when their employers raped them. All the sudden Right to life isn't so cut and dried.

[redzone]

besides this great observation, it was never about life in the first place but control over women and control over their lives... denying a woman the right to choose when and even if she will have a baby is a life sentence and a form of social relation that is also a form of slavery... having a baby for millions and millions of and millions of women prevents them from being able to fully participate in society... that you changed your views on this question is really great KL even if you do not see it in exactly the same way I do... and with rape, it is also a way to shape and control a woman's life...

[Lyn Anderson]

That is just one of many things over the years that I have changed my views on. If we cannot empathize with others and revise our judgments, we are stunted emotionally.

[redzone]

exactly...

[Shannon]

So here we have three sentences so carefully rendered that they create a powerful poetic statement. I always feel like we should owe our judgements and try to be better. Love this.

[Lyn Anderson]

In the last year or so, I have experienced some things, and met some people, who have altered my perception of the world. With these experiences I have realized that everything I thought I knew is not exactly true. It is a water shed moment. When I was a teen, I went to Brazil. I lived there for a year. A similar experience happened there that changed so much of what I believed of the

[Lyn Anderson]

world in general.:) (quick trigger finger, didn't want to delete and re-post.

[Shannon]

Wow kl that's amazing! What's even better is that I sounds like it has been a positive experience. Or you have been able to get to a positive place as a result anyway.

[Michael (Letters and Li..]

Awesome. I stumbled upon this and really liked it. The title drew me in. Very intriguing. There's definietly a lot of talent here.

[Lyn Anderson]

Thank you for stopping in. I will have to pop by your page.

[Ana Papaya]

Sometimes surprises are good, sometimes not so good. Personally, I hate surprises. I like to know what to expect. You know what I mean... When you've been burned too many times. Good poem. I hope order is restored.

[Lyn Anderson]

In this case, it was a good thing, although surprising.

[Ana Papaya]

Good surprises are good. :)