Come!
come...
let us wash our bloody hands
in the river that does not choose.
let us take our veangeful hearts
and lay them at the door.
let us dropp our arrogant poses,
and reveal who we are.
let us forgive, and be forgiven...
for every child that dies of starvation,
for every bomb that's dropped.
for every homeless family,
for every broken home.
for every prisoner, every victim,
every hater, and their hate...
for every man and women beaten down,
living day to day in poverty.
for every winner and every loser,
for every unwanted baby...
for every war,
for every tree cut down,
for the smoke that fills our skies,
the oil that defiles our waters...
for every deal made at the expense of humanity...
for every lie sold as the truth!
for every bullet,
for every nuclear accident,
for every act of discrimination...
for every prayer not prayed.
for every apathetic action,
and inaction...
for every voice of freedom
we allow to be imprisoned or killed.
for every chance we let pass by,
for every time we just walk away...
WE ARE RESPONSIBLE!
come!
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Related quotes
For All of These, and More
for every daughter aborted
in China because sons
are preferred...
for every young girl or boy
sold into slavery here
in the states...
for every whale killed
by the Japanese ships...
for every expanse of ocean
filled with our oil...
for every tree cut
by the saws of greed...
for every woman and child
working in sweatshops...
for every political prisoner
that we ignore...
for every homeless person
in the 'land of the free'...
for every kid in jail
who never had a chance...
for every old person
left alone to die...
for every family in Africa
left to starvation....
for every plate of food
thrown out, wasted mindlessly.
for every mountain raped
by the miner's hands...
for every kid that is different,
that is abused and beaten...
for everyone killed in our
money driven wars...
for all of these, and more...
i ask forgiveness, as
a member of the human family.
for all of these, and more,
i take responsibility.
for all of these, and more,
i choose to live today...
with an involved hope
for tomorrow!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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The Battle.... (We Have Fought)
the battle we have fought for so long,
as a 'free' society...
in the name of justice, equality, diversity,
responsibility, and freedom...
has reached the point of decision.
we either move forward no matter
what the cost...
believing the dream is worth the price...
or we crawl back into the cave
of self-fulfillment at the cost of all others.
prejudice and discrimination have gone from color
to religion to sex and sexual orientation,
and now to those enslaved by poverty.
we cannot turn our backs on each other...
we cannot allow the few to destroy the world.
we are responsible, we are a part of each other.
when one is hungry, we are all hungry.
when one family is homeless, we are all homeless.
when one person is a victim
of prejudice, hatred, and injustice...
we all are!
when one eats, all should eat.
when one has a chance to work,
all should have that chance...
when one child gets an education,
all should have that right.
this is the time, and this is the place...
it is now that we must choose!
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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The Bells Of Freedom
do the bells of freedom ring
every time someone dies of starvation?
every time a child is abused,
every time a woman's left alone
to raise the kids...
every time a young boy hangs himself,
every time an addict steals his fix...
every time a boy is shot dead in the street,
every time a mother weeps....
every time a boy goes off to war,
comes home in a bodybag....
and no one knows why.....
every time a family is evicted,
with nowhere to go....
every time a factory gets shut down,
and the workers walk away with empty
lunchboxes and shattered dreams.....
every time a minister gets up to pray,
and the silent, grieving, walk out...
every time a young girl gets beaten
by a pimp in a back room....
every time a family farm is taken,
every time a tanker leaks oil...
every time a prisoner is executed
for something he didnt do....
every time a protestor gets arrested
for standing up to be counted...
do they ring? and are they
the chimes of freedom....
or the bells of passing....
saying their final farewell!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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Candle
if we lit a candle tonite
for every child that's hungry,
for every family that's homeless,
for every drug addict without hope,
for every soldier fighting
in an unholy war
for every immigrant
fighting for a chance,
for every prisoner
that becomes a victim
of the system.
for every victim
of violent crimes.
for every husband and wife
who cant find their way,
and give up and walk away.
for every child with a disability
that doesnt get a fair chance.
for every child that grows up
without a father or mother.
for every person who feels
deserted by God.
for every person afraid
to be who they are
for every victim of prejudice,
whether it be racial, religious,
or sexual.
for every person alone,
without hope or direction.
we'd have a fire so bright
it'd light the universe.
the fire of compassion.
warming the feet of humanity!
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Church Street Bomb blast
Forgive
forgive them
who set the bomb
slaughtering nineteen people
wounding and maiming two hundred more
who sit in parliament with blood on their hands
being responsible in ordering numerous killings,
not being held responsible or caring about it now,
killing innocent civilian children, women and men
whose blood, body parts, guts and broken bodies I saw
and now the elements have washed away what was left of some
and yet I will not forget this madness and cruelty, which made man loose all humanity.
poem by Gert Strydom
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If I Prayed For You... (I Just Did)
if i prayed for you,
with the eyes of a child,
beaten, bruised, and hungry...
would you see, would you know?
if i prayed for you,
with an old man's hands,
hard, calloused, and gentle...
would you feel, would you know?
if i prayed for you,
with a mother's tears,
her daughter raped by your soldiers...
would you change, would you know?
if i prayed for you,
with a homeless man's heart,
a human story untold...
would you care, would you know?
if i prayed for you,
with a farmer's faith,
plowing and planting unseen...
would you believe, would you know?
if i prayed for you,
from a soldier's conviction,
who laid down his guns and walked away...
would you be inspired, would you know?
if i prayed for you,
with a real doctor's conscience,
who made his life's work for the poor...
would you love, would you know?
if i prayed for you,
with the protester's courage,
beaten and arrested for the truth...
would you live, would you know?
if i prayed for you,
from the heart of god,
revealing holy desire....
hey, i just did!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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I Am.... (Hand Of Silence)
i am the fire raging out of control,
the blade of the shadow on poverty's neck.
the broken sound when no one can hear,
the cold feel of the gallows,
the wings of the dead bird.
i am the raccoon trapped,
and the fury of loss.
i am the waiting that kills,
moment by moment.
i am the hand too tired to touch,
the baby just born that no one wants.
i am the ribs showing on the starving child,
the refugee fleeing with nowhere to go.
the smell of despair at the county dump,
the apartment without curtains or furniture.
i am the soldier killed who hesitated with conscience.
i am the prisoner afraid of both detention and freedom.
the young gay teenager who hangs himself,
the pregnant girl who takes too many pills.
i am the protester beaten and left on the sidewalk,
the old man alone without food or heat.
i am the touch of Jesus in the addict's eyes,
the street bum sleeping in the alley.
i am the farmer whose farm was taken,
the family left without a home.
the 40 year worker in the unemployment line,
the young girl taken and sold as a whore.
i am the Buddhist monk who sets himself on fire,
the rebel imprisoned for speaking the truth.
i am the millions of young who cant afford school,
the millions of workers who cant afford insurance.
i am the immigrant deported,
whose family has no chance.
the young mother caught stealing food.
i am the morals hidden by despair and anger,
the conscience of the poor holding the gun.
i am the color of skin covered with blood,
the face of god in strays of all kinds.
i am the Buddha weeping,
the body of suffering....
the hand of silence covering the grave.
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Earthly Reflections
We've over farmed the Sacred Earth.
Sold her beauty to the highest bidder.
Traded Her future for what?
We've almost left her barren.
The sucking sound of greed,
Consuming her very soul.
But its only a matter of time,
Until she will again be whole
We've over farmed the money tree too.
The value of exchange once a sacred bit of bread.
Or warmth to heal the family.
Or the wool from which to spin our thread.
Life sustaining items of meaning.
Have been perverted into,
Something meaningless.
Home is where the heart is.
Not for speculation.
The impersonal zeros,
Dancing on the balance sheet,
Can never bring us back
To that place.
Where humanity will,
Once again meet,
In humanity to one another.
Homes standing empty.
With little children living
Homeless by the river,
Of poverty. They must be freed.
We must cure these symptoms
Of this disease called greed.
poem by Lynne FincherSpringarden
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Homeless
Homeless;
- Down by the muddy Mississippi
Skinny as a rail,
Sleeping under the old Eads bridge
Feeling low, dirty, and frail -
Homeless;
- With less than two coins
In both pockets,
Empty eyes
Look through sunken sockets -
Homeless;
- So many people walk right on by
I wonder how many care,
They all keep moving
Even though they stare -
Homeless;
- Lost a job
Lost a home,
Lost a family
Lost all hope -
Homeless;
- Where will I go from here
What should I do,
I'm so thankful when the weather's fair
And the skies are blue -
Homeless;
- Don't know the day nor season
And, yea, it sure gets cold at night,
I've got an old sleeping bag
I'll be alright -
Homeless;
- There's so many of us out here
Without a home,
Even so
I feel so very alone -
Homeless;
- It's a tough situation
Not pretty, just true,
And at any time
It could happen to you -
Homeless;
- Hey buddy...
Could you spare a dime,
And say a prayer for us
... sometime -
- I'm just homeless, not less human...
poem by Smoky Hoss
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Do They Come Clean?
at the end of the day,
when we wash our hands,
do they come clean?
homeless people, young girls
sold on the block,
hungry children, AIDS victims,
gotta watch your stocks.
black and white, brown and red,
gunfire and poverty;
kids afraid to go to school,
aint no profit in honesty.
SUV's, invaded countries,
oil doesnt buy liberty.
the takers take, the hurting weep,
at the cost of dignity.
politicians lie, preachers sell
narrow minded philosophies.
prisons full, bodies in the street,
the faces of reality.
smoke fills the air, oil fills the seas,
trade the future for the fix.
unemployed standing in line,
faceless numbers, brick upon brick.
close your door, shut your windows,
turn up the sound....
of anger, despair, and loss....
cries for help as they drown...
tell me....
at the end of the day,
when we wash our hands,
do they come clean?
poem by Eric Cockrell
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(Choices Poem) Circumstances Unending
If you had to choose what would you do
Circumstances unending
A victim of life
A victim of death
A victim of compromises
A heart in pain either way.
To make your world a little more okay
To let the one you love go for the better
Or the happiness of poverty in suffering
Like a mother choosing for a child
you must make the decision out of true love.
Forever the greater good.
The eagle looks upon us all with his eyes.
Only if I could see it that way.
If you had to choose what would you do
Circumstances unending
A victim of life
A victim of death
A victim of compromises
A heart in pain either way.
To make your world a little more okay
When you do such a thing their is no going back
Chasing after something you threw away.
All in a attempt to be the better man.
The homeless playing a game of kick the can.
Nobody ever wins.
It is to pass time as it will always do.
If you had to choose what would you do
Circumstances unending
A victim of life
A victim of death
A victim of compromises
A heart in pain either way.
To make your world a little more okay
Regret and bitter
Feelings that will never sit well with you
Your determined to overcome, and it not be prolonged
She is gone.
Forever a bad choice.
That you wouldn't want to change.
If you had to choose what would you do
Circumstances unending
A victim of life
A victim of death
A victim of compromises
A heart in pain either way.
To make your world a little more okay
The portrait of your face betrays the feeling inside.
The things you try to bury and hide.
At one time you were happy.
At one time you smiling and so full of spirit.
But now you fall into a very empty depression.
If you had to choose what would you do
Circumstances unending
A victim of life
A victim of death
A victim of compromises
A heart in pain either way.
To make your world a little more okay
No one will come and pick you up.
If you fall it will be you last one.
Like a soldier you still march as if you were still on call.
Duty and service is all you've ever known.
And now a world sits before you.
And still your all alone.
If you had to choose what would you do
Circumstances unending
A victim of life
A victim of death
A victim of compromises
A heart in pain either way.
To make your world a little more okay
poem by Ace Of Black Hearts
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We Walk As One!
for all those who are hurting...
souls troubled, in turmoil.
for those in need,
those left alone...
for all those with nowhere to turn.
for all those hungry, body or spirit,
for those who are beaten,
bruised, and scarred...
for those on the street,
and those addicted....
for the prisoner, the victim,
the soldier far from home.
for the lover left empty,
for the dreamer who's lost hope,
for every tear shed in the darkness...
i feel you, i am by your side,
i am the wind whispering to you,
i am the night shadows that embrace.
i am the prayer prayed for you, by you,
and the answer coming in time...
i live inside you,
in the breath you breathe...
you are me, and i am you,
and this path we walk...
we walk as one!
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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A Prayer For Everyone
Every child deserves love
A safe place to run and play
Every man deserves a chance
To bring home a decent pay
Every race is equal
Beloved in God's eyes
When I see discrimination my soul cries
Say a prayer for the lonely
A prayer for the confused
Say a prayer if you'd only
For the secretly abused
Say a prayer for the newborn
With all the battles to be won
Say a prayer for the tired and worn
Say a prayer for everyone
Walk a mile with a stranger
Put yourself in his shoes
Lend a hand to an old one
Good will come to you
In our heads were happy
We go our merry way
In our hearts were all afraid of our dying day
Every child deserves love
A safe place to run and play
Every woman deserves a chance
To bring home a decent pay
song performed by by Belinda Carlisle
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Buddha Thoughts (Every Flower)
for every flower that opens,
a hawk kills a rabbit.
for every bushel of corn,
another child starves.
for every bullet fired,
another mother weeps.
for every coming of dawn,
another face is forgotten.
for every hand extended,
another door closed.
for every prayer prayed,
a homeless family waits.
for every flower that opens...
poem by Eric Cockrell
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The Bloody 20th
The Bloody 20th
Century 20
The Bloody Century
If not the worst
The teacher of the 21st
To maim and kill
And rape and fill
The streets with blood
And warm the air enough
for rain to flood and wash away
our great and noble plans
and with only passing peace
To let us be prepared for death
From tsunami, earthquake, drought,
Bullet, bomb, atom or starvation,
In this time of great confusion
poem by Fred Babbin
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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What women want...
You hate me when I'm happy
You hate me when I'm sad
You hate me when I'm calm
And also when I get mad
You hate me when I'm gloomy
You hate me when I'm joking
You hate the men who smoke
And you hate me for not smoking
You hate me when I'm silent
You hate me when I talk
Even before I speak
You act as if I spoke
You hate the way I drive
You hate the way I walk
You hate me when I'm rich
You hate me when I'm broke
You hate me when I laugh
You'll hate me if I cry
Now you hate that I'm alive
You'll hate me when I die
You hate when I appear
You hate it when I hide
You hate me when I'm near
Yet you want me by your side
You hate me coz I'm thin
And you'd hate me if I'm fat
For you think I'm made of tin
I'm your worthless doormat
You're asking me to change
And even if I do
I know I'll find myself
Still not good enough for you
Well, let me tell you baby
A fact that may seem new
I feel, I breathe, I love
We, men, are humans too
So please try to accept me
And forgive me or forget
Don't try to customize me
What you see is what you get
You're still planning to change me
Even though you know you won't
Deep inside you, you're unable
To achieve what women want
poem by Asser Mattar
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Well, It's Nuclear...
well, it's nuclear rain,
voices without names,
faces etched in pain,
lives given in vain,
it's nuclear rain.
well, it's nuclear night.
cant tell wrong from right,
hope is out of sight,
men stand alone and fight.
it's nuclear night.
well, it's nuclear stillness.
past the point of forgiveness..
the dying cry out to witness.
the ego driven illness.
it's nuclear stillness.
well, it's nuclear devastation.
the home divided by the nation.
the individual sold to exploitation.
to bondage and incarceration.
it's nuclear devastation.
well, it's nuclear hell.
the spirit put on sale.
the body just a shell.
the truth it cannot tell.
it's nuclear hell.
well, it's nuclear death,
fear steals the very breath.
everything taken nothing left.
child of Cain, child of Seth,
it's nuclear death.
well, it's the nuclear dawn,
all that ever was is gone.
the weak devoured by the strong,
god left to walk alone...
it's nuclear dawn!
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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I Am (Kneeling)
i am, become...
i am forgiveness,
wanted, prayed for, needed,
in heart and action...
i am the blood of those
you killed crying out,
in the name of God and humanity!
i am the action done with foreknowledge,
the action done without intent.
and even worse the inaction,
that turns the head and closes the eyes.
i am the earth gasping with death,
crying out to her children.
i am your children, and
your children's children...
starving at your feet!
i am the people of color
you killed without remorse...
and the poor of all colors you flush.
i am the young boys and girls
you sell into slavery,
on every darkened corner.
i am the young men you trained
and sent to die...
to feed your war machine!
i am the working class bartered away
in the game of oil and dominion...
the memory of your parents and grandparents,
all they fought and stood for
sold like trinkets on the block.
the words of freedom, of Thomas Jefferson,
whose grave you now defile...
i am the weeping that has no tears,
that tears you inside out.
i am the hurt that covers you
with shadows and agony,
that makes you sick to your soul.
i am numb with silence,
struck blind, struck down...
i am America kneeling,
i am, become...
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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I Am Responsible.... (Poet's Heart)
i am responsible....
for the child dying of starvation,
whatever color, whatever country.
for the young Muslim child alone,
his family killed by the bombs.
for the addict shaking on the street corner,
for the young girl selling her body
on that same corner.
for the family kicked out of their house,
who have nowhere to go.
for the young angry men in prison,
for the victims of the crimes.
for the stink of poverty,
and the abuse of wealth.
for the planes, the bombs,
the guns and the flags...
for the political prisoners who spoke out.
for the elderly going without food and lights,
trying to pay for their medicine.
for the victims of racism and prejudice,
and those that wave that banner.
for the preacher, the thief,
the murderer, and the lost....
for the woman treated as less.
for the young man who commits suicide,
and for those that caused his desperation.
for the immigrant killed crossing the border,
hoping against hope for his family.
for the 'moral' who cant feel,
for those who feel, those who suffer.
for the bones of those we've killed
on our journey to civilization.
for the Jew, the Christian,
the Hindu, the Muslim, and the Buddhist...
of equal worth and value.
for the atheist, the doubter, the searcher,
and those who question all.
for the man, the woman, and the child.
for the sins of the past,
and the path to the future.
i am responsible...
because i am human!
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Many Fight And Die For Freedom
Many fight and die for freedom but it does seem to me
For any one of us not a guarantee
At death at the hands of our own kind by bomb, bullet or knife
Just a basic human freedom known as right to life.
Though most people believe in live and let live
A guarantee of your right to your life any Government cannot give
A basic human right that to anyone does not belong
I say only what's true and truth cannot be wrong.
No freedom for women to walk without fear in the park
On a moonless night when the sky it is dark
To walk without fear in the town in the night
Seems a basic freedom that ought to be a right.
Far too many young men have believed in the lie
That if you do love freedom for it you will die
But we don't all drink the same beer or spirits or wine
And your ideas on freedom are quite different to mine.
poem by Francis Duggan
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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