The Delusion

A tale of sorts of how the grass is not always greener on the other side.

This story is about a boy,

Who lived on a farmstead in his youth

He was plagued by isolation

Under that old tin, weathered roof

 

His parents had little money,

Could not afford even to send him to school

This bothered him little though,

He had always thought himself a fool

 

"Will I always be alone?" he thought,

“Is there anything out there for me?”

“Am I destined to live in solitude,

Under the blanket of this family tree?”

 

And as the poor boy grew older,

Moving to the city seemed the only option

He reveled in his new found enthusiasm

For a place of new adoption!

 

And it was as he thought it would be

Busy and full of pace

Everyone seemed to be running around

As if the timekeeper had started the race

 

And the more he thought about his life

And the way it ought to be

He realized he may have once been very poor

Under the blanket of that old family tree

 

But this way of life started to get to him

Every day was a grind and a slog

The city was polluted with filth,

Even unfit for a vagrant, raggedy dog

 

He remembered the blue skies and mountains,

Of green and gold that were endlessly long

The smell of the fresh berg winds

The sounds of the birds in full song

 

And as time passed and he earned good tom,

God blessed him with his own little family

But something still wasn't right in him,

“This can't be life as it was meant to be?”

 

Oh how he longed now of the farmstead

With its walls of whitewash and stone

Of the freedom and peace he had felt

Of the place that he once called home

 

"I must remember to teach my children", he thought

As he picked them up from school

"You can be anything you want to be in your life,

But never be a fool".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reviews

[Leon C]

Another good one.
A simple tale with a strong message. I liked the structure which didn't seem forced.

If I was being super critical there are a couple of lines that don't quite work.

But that said I liked it a lot.

I know it must be a South African phrase but can you explain 'earned good tom'. I assumed money????

[Philip Muls]

I take the meaning of your last line to be : be who you can be, do not sell yourself short...is that correct ?
I like the simplicity and honesty of your poem. It has good flow and as a reader you kind of hope and expect he will go back to his roots...but he does not. That is why the lesson learned needs to be crystal clear.

Well done. Could you review mine ?

[Glen Yumang Manese]

Everyone finds a way in their life...as this story unfolds and the play of words with the usage of the language...you pick up the reader in the meaning and also engage in the way you present the theme...life is about choices...sometimes those choices deem not as important once you realize both sides...yet there is always that feel...nothing can change like home...the heart of it all...in the scheme of things...