To See the Sun

An old Chinese proverb: Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.

A precious little palm,

Soft and unblemished.

It bears no scars,

Recalls no pain.

All of two years old,

It already clasps a glistening key.

 

Beady little eyes have stumbled upon

A secret that eludes grown men.

And this sweet little child,

He wasn’t even searching for it.

 

He is born knowing"

We are all born knowing"

That to find happiness you must smile

Even when the rain comes.

You must dance

Even though your feet hurt.

You must love

Despite the hateful hail besieging your soul.

 

To see the sun,

You must be the sun.

 

Somewhere along the way,

The light flickers in those youthful eyes.

That gold key slips from his growing fingers

And he doesn’t even notice its absence.

No, not until much later,

When his soul slips down a cavern of despair

And depressing poetry provides a flimsy ladder.

 

Then he realizes that he once held that key,

So why the hell did he uncurl his fingers?

How will he ever stumble upon it again?

The key does not sail in with his sweeping words

As he reflects eloquently on the failures of humanity.

He sits in the dark, searching for the light

And he can only find his computer screen.

 

So many complaints,

So many theories.

It is all so complex,

So empty.

 

Happiness is no Quadratic Formula.

You must smile as the rain pelts your face

And dance pretending that the melody cures your tired muscles.

You must love as if your heart is pure and soft

Even knowing that you have been cut before

And will be cut again.

To see the sun,

You must be the sun.

Author's Note

I feel like there are so many poems about how the world is such an awful place nowadays, and I can't help but think that it's kind of a circle. The people who think that the world is a depressing place and ruminate on humanity are, themselves, making the world more depressing, even though that's exactly what they're complaining about. Did I just group myself among the people who think the world is an awful place by saying that? I'm not sure, and I'm confusing myself. Anyway, please give your thoughts. :D

Reviews

[Kenneth The Poet]

I can't but help think I inspired this poem, but I think I might be a little full of myself here. I love the reference to the quadratic formula for sure.

Seriously, you have a point. People like me might bring you down, but don't let that inhibit your work at all. Have a bright day, and let the world shine. This poem is officially favorited.

[OT]

should have guessed that swine Serial Kisser would have beaten me here haha - anyways - this is a great write - I like your perceptions - a turn around almost - to see the light in the shadows and grit - I really like your third stanza - and the closing ones - no quadratic formula indeed - to live life to the fullest in its coloured glory - a nice very optimistic poem ha - but inspired nonetheless - well done!

[xSummer'sPatient]

I like this a lot. To see the sun, you must be the sun. Those lines stood out to me. I really like them and I think isolating them was a great idea. However, here:
He is born knowing"
We are all born knowing"
I'm not sure what the quotation marks are just doing at the end of the lines or if they're supposed to be there, and that's a little distracting.
That to be find happiness you must smile
Is the be supposed to be there? It looks like a typo and kind of interrupts the phrase a bit.
Despite the knives that slashed through your soul.
Doesn't take at all away from the poem, and it definitely conveys the message. However, this phrase and phrases similar to this are very much overdone, and I just wanted to point that out.
That's just my opinion, though. Despite those things, you still have a wonderfully written poem with great imagery and flow. Great job here!

[Jake Staffeld]

This is great. The analogy really works. It's unfortunate that so many of us are depressing (I know, I'm one of them), but it's when we're inspired to write.

[Victoria Scott]

I love this poem....actually out of all the poems I have read this is probably my favorite...."To see the sun, you must be the sun." Beautiful! and so poetic! This is definitely going to my favorites

[Ben Taylor]

I just read this again, and I realized that this really does perfectly describe what is necessary for happiness. As you said, it is not something that we formulate, or discover outside of ourselves; it is a choice, an inner decision. We must smile as the rain pelts our face--perfectly said.
Your writings are so beautiful.

[Nobody.]

Wow. Hit me right between my lenses. Glad I'm wearing my designer safety goggles just now. Really well done.
Cheers!
R.G.

[Raven Starhawk]

Utterly fantastic. It is well composed from a amazing soul whose words burn brightly in my mind. You also write valid points. Clearly this reflects your thoughtful nature.

[Tate Morgan]

This is your most endearing piece I have seen so far

[Ben Taylor]

"As he reflects eloquently on the failures of humanity.
He sits in the dark, searching for the light
And he can only find his computer screen."
I felt uncannily described.
The beginning was good, but the ending was great. The loss of innocence; a noble subject for a poem. Beautifully put..aye, to see the sun, we must be the sun.

[LeaflessTree]

To see the sun you must be the sun... So lyrical.