When You See a Stranger

A bit of silliness for the kids. Prosody is a bit off and there are inconsistencies stanza-to-stanza, but luckily, kids don't notice

When You See a Stranger

A question for kids

 

 

You see a stranger on the street

Where would you go, if you wore his feet?

 

Is he kind to his children? Is he nice to his wife?

Or is his day troubled…and filled with strife?

 

With what kind of treat does he end his meal?

Is it ice cream and pie, or crackers with eel?

 

Is reddish purple his favorite hue?

Or greenish red, all mixed with blue?

 

Does he drive a car or row a boat?

Fly an eagle…or ride a goat?

 

How does he get where he hopes to be?

Perhaps he swings from tree-to-tree?

 

Is his family nice or zombie-esque?

Do they call to talk or only text?

 

Do they read a book or do they dance?

When danger calls do they take a chance?

 

But, asking that, a thought occurs.

Would they like your world?

Would you like theirs?

Reviews

[fallon]

"you see a stranger on the street. Where would you go if you wore his feet?" That says it all for me. I was already hooked on the first line. In fact I think I may start asking my children this question to see what they come up with. Its charming and inquisitive. Thank you for sharing it.

[Amalia Gray]

It’s the whole “if not for the grace of god there goes I” question :)

[hiren]

Hi jay G how are you, you are not writing anymore??

[erin:)]

I really love this poem, I love the rhyme scheme and the rhythm. The word “somber” comes to mind hehe

[Soren]

A poem of questions that directs the reader to the intent as I take it. We all have different tastes and we can only judge their worth by our own standards. Who is to say what is better?

[JayG]

So far, 77 people here have. I can live with that. 😆

[Thomas W Case]

Very creative work. Nice job with the rhyme, not forced.

[Mint Rayne]

I was curious with the first line. “Where would you go, if you wore his feet?” For kids that is a great way to start a conversation about strangers. “ Is his family nice or zombie-esque?
Do they call to talk or only text?” I like that line. Having a conversation with kids lets them think about themselves too and question if they talk or text too. If not they could be zombie-esque hahaha. Thanks for the entertaining poem.

[John Sullivan]

Wonderful read. Empathy is all too lacking in today's world.

[AaronCZim]

The part I found most interesting was about the colours. It creates a vivid array of colour symbology. Reddish purple sounds like either burgundy or maybe even crimson which evokes cold hearted feelings for me because red is like blood and those colours are like dried blood, but the ways it was described as reddish purple instead of a colour name makes me look at the other options, like pink. I find pink to be a very emotional colour, always expressing feelings like how a love heart is often more pink than red. I'll think more about how pink relates or is intentionally omitted.

Following the reddish purple is greenish red (impossible) mixed with blue. Green mixed with red makes brown, or maybe we are talking about stippling colours, and that's what I think it is. That stippled also with blue creates a bipolar array of colours.

I thought it was really cool how you combine so many colours into two verses. That also reminds me a little of "The Sick Muse" by Charles Baudelaire from "The Flowers of Evil" where it goes:

"A succubus green, or a hobgoblin red,
Has it poured o'er thee Horror and Love from its urn?
Or the Nightmare with masterful bearing hath led
Thee to drown in the depths of some magic Minturne?"

I have a YouTube reading of, "The Sick Muse," (something similar), if you care to partake:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNdGwbwKySM

I think it evokes quite similar bipolar colour symbology, but you take it to the next level.

[noddingoff]

love the use of "zombie-esque. dr. suess intensified