That Genuine Factor
Many lack that genuine factor.
And the ones who overcompensate,
With a masquerading...
Seem suspiciously to be protecting,
Insecurities they would rather erase...
Than to be placed in awkward positions.
We all have flaws some have evaluated.
And at times wished them not to be seen at all.
But eventually we can not fake them without facing,
A participating with others...
On some kind of regular basis.
Affording us an escape from ways that isolate.
Many lack that genuine factor.
And the ones who overcompensate,
With a masquerading...
Seem suspiciously to be protecting,
Insecurities they would rather erase...
Than to be placed in awkward positions.
'Some of my best friends were once 'Negroes'.
Now they are 'Black'.
Should I have said that?
Or do you prefer something much more updated?
I'm doing the best I can to accept diversity.
You may not believe this...
But just the other day I had my first taste,
Of chitterlings and collard greens.
And I must say...
They were quite delicious.'
~There's nothing like making that first impression.
Is this your first visit to the 21st century? ~
'Of course not.
You people are so...
Entertaining.'
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Related quotes
You Want to Gain...What?
You want to gain...
What?
Fame, fortune and wealth?
To feel you are above everyone else?
To deal them with teases...
Just to please yourself?
You want to gain...
What?
Attention you insist belongs to you?
To set pretensions upon their point of view.
What does this 'really' do for you?
Would this erase your insecurities...
And those obscenities that you spew?
You want to gain...
What?
A dignity and pride...
With 'things' and objects,
You believe holds a head high.
Or eyes on you!
To be awed by a fake persona.
And left transfixed...
By your masquerading of it!
You clearly feel an emptiness.
And this you keep inside.
Nothing you choose to express to impress...
Will ever address what you deny!
And an identity unknown...
Seems to leave you depressed,
With regrets.
This is shown!
And moving forward beyond this...
With determined steps,
Will not gain you what you wish.
If you are too afraid...
To expose and admit,
Mistakes you've made!
But you insist...
None are there to fix.
You want to gain...
What?
A way to disguise your blemishes,
There and appearing.
Or a way to escape from your flaws?
No one finds endearing.
Which of these do you believe can not be seen?
You want to gain...
What?
Another life?
One you don't find,
So disgusting?
To live one that is lived perfectly right!
One you wished you had lived less distrusting.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
It's a Two Way Street
Some folks can not accept directness.
Especially if they have attempted to hide themselves,
Behind walls of protective insecurities.
They would like to voice their opinions,
With critique and judgements passed.
Hoping no one finds their state of mind,
Faltering with self delusion!
Directness gets to the heart of this.
One who does it is depicted as insensitive.
Or lacks tact.
However it is done,
One who is direct can not hold back!
And some on the receiving end feeling attacked...
Should apply and use it,
To restore a confidence.
Instead of masquerading one they lack!
It's a two way street.
And one should determine not to always travel it,
With intentions to arrive at their destination...
Just one way!
When someone has something to say...
No matter what it is,
Be willing to listen!
Even if the inclination is to resist!
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
A Willingness To Let Go Of The Old
May the coming new year,
Bring to all a refreshened outlook with insight.
And a willingness to let go of the old,
Tried and true for most not to relive to redo...
On a voluntary basis.
Since a holding onto those denials,
Without the facing of facts...
And being betrayed by entertaining delusions,
Will not present mental benefits to come...
For anyone,
With beliefs the feeding of entitlements...
Will be restored intact when they slowly come back.
And justifies their stubbornness to stay fixed,
In positions that are changing around them...
Swift and quick.
With hopes to stop,
That moving forward of a ticking tock heard...
From a clock watched.
And one that is definitely on the scene,
To erase and replace...
All,
To re-arrange like nothing ever known before.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Fake People
All the time
I look in your eyes
But what I see
And what you say to me
Are two totally different things
You pretend you put on a façade
I only wish you knew that I'm not
The only one who sees it as odd
Fake people
The things they do are oh so evil
Because of their own insecurities
They try to pass on to you their idiosyncrasies
Thinking they are your friends you let them into your lives
But then they turn around and about you tell nothing but lies
Jealousy is such an ugly thing
Almost as ugly as hypocrisy
Fake people
The things they do are oh so evil
Fake people
Fake people
So now I must ask who are your friends
Are they really what they seem to be
Or are they just trying to hide from you their envy
Do your friends really have your back
Or is it that that's where by them you've been stabbed
I once had a friend
One I thought would be there for me till the end
Then one day my happiness ended and theirs began
And when I needed someone to lean on
Behind me did no one stand
Fake people
The things they do are oh so evil
Because of their own insecurities
They try to pass on to you their idiosyncrasies
Thinking they are your friends you let them into your lives
But then they turn around and about you tell nothing but lies
Jealousy is such an ugly thing
Almost as ugly as hypocrisy
Fake people
The things they do are oh so evil
Fake people
Fake people
Be careful who you let know your business
'Cause in the end
Rumors about you they could be spreadin'
Don't put your trust in people who don't trust you
There's no telling what they're liable to say or do
Grow smarter with each experience
And you'll see true friends
Are the friends who are their with and for you till the end
Fake people
The things they do are oh so evil
Because of their own insecurities
They try to pass on to you their idiosyncrasies
Thinking they are your friends you let them into your lives
But then they turn around and about you tell nothing but lies
Jealousy is such an ugly thing
Almost as ugly as hypocrisy
Fake people
The things they do are oh so evil
Fake people
Fake people
(1998)
poem by Dionne K. Kelly

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Introducing Doubt To Weaken
Remove I've done,
From a confinement to undo.
And to choose to escape,
From perceptions...
Time,
Has taught me to erase.
Remove I've done,
The faking of false faces.
Kept to do,
In fear that I would offend someone...
And masquerading in pretense,
Would find my presence more accepted.
Remove I've done,
Notions of impressions to give.
And to strip myself to expose my identity,
Has meant more to more...
Than the approval of someone lessened,
By a harboring of their own hidden insecurities.
Removed from me I have done,
Those kinds of deliberating limitations.
Introducing doubt to weaken,
My desire to live my life...
Free of anyone's ability,
To qualify the passing of their judgements.
That action,
Is not invited or solicited in defining my life...
Lived the way it has been intended.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
People Submerged In Their Insecurities
People submerged in their own insecurities,
Have a constant need to speak of one's race.
Constantly!
And...
The color of one's skin.
And who is responsible for today's racism.
With deceitful confessions,
That these are not part of their 'sins'.
They are!
And that's why they wish to keep it identified.
They are,
Themselves...
On the dark side.
And doing it absent of color.
Or the lack of it shown!
They are...
People submerged in their own insecurities.
And people like these,
Make their presence known!
Even if their actions annoy themselves...
In a collective ignorance that is overblown!
They are...
People who dislike,
People like me.
And others who strip disguises away,
From people submerged...
In a willingness to inflict their own insecurities,
With misdeeds and a hate for self reflection.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
It Is Best to Be Cautious
Some folks believe they benefit,
By protecting their insecurities.
As if they are hidden.
And others can not see.
Or know those insecurities,
Have a life of their own.
And have been given the 'authority'
To express themselves!
And publicly breathe.
But when those insecurities,
Begin to plop on another's integrity...
There is no sense to defend them.
Feelings once spared,
Are no longer given a chance.
And egos become wounded.
And those romanced exaggerations,
About life...
Become stung,
By someone who intends to deliver...
A bitter nasty tongue done.
And there is no regret.
It is best to be cautious,
In these situations.
Especially when accusations,
Begin to sprout wings and fly!
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Not At Your Expense. But Mine
That's strange.
And I am glad you brought the subject up.
You're not the only one who has said,
I have a tendency to others down.
As if to selectively pass judgement.
And,
Ironically enough...
Those who have said that,
Prefer if I kept their masquerading flaws...
And blemished insecurities they choose to keep hidden,
Under pretentions they believe discreet.
Left desperately closeted,
From anyone speaking about them.
Those not so 'cliquishly' involoved in their profiling.
I agree.
And I do not see a positive thing about it.
But tell me this...
Who actually benefits,
From the abundance of it I see?
Or is it just an accepted way of life,
Wanted to flaunt on socialized 'trips'...
That has its own uniqueness I am missing.
Is this some kind of fashion statement...
Only known to those,
Participating in this region of the country?
It is not like it is a secret.
Unknown to media moguls, entertainers...
And those snapping out of their mental,
And physical addictions.
Or is it,
And this you might agree...
Is it,
That when I am not around...
You make it a point to mention my comments,
To over emphasis them with negativity...
To help generate your own following?
Is that what you do?
Because I have noticed you do that with skill.
But...
Not at your expense.
But mine.
Although...
I don't make my comments to gain attention.
I just observe and make statements based upon fact.
And you?
You name dropp and exaggerate with impersonations.
As if to mock is your profession.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Under High Steeples
People cementing their relationships with others,
With a masquerading of their dishonesty...
To have others perceive them to be upfront,
And righteous.
Are those who eventually,
Look for ways to escape from their own lies.
No matter how low they kneel under high steeples.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The single most important factor in determining America's success in the 21st century will be maintaining our ability to be an innovative and creative society.
Something Genuine That Has Rare Vitality
Each will come to have their turn.
To positions to appease egos.
And each will eventually...
Do their best,
To keep their practiced plagiarisms...
Hopefully to continue to go undetected,
To become recognized as a slice of innovation.
Cleverly kept in disguise.
And provides them their motivation.
Although,
This activity...
Leaves the taste for the originator,
To return to give what has been yearned.
Something genuine.
That has rare vitality!
And none are able to reproduce it,
With an ambiance...
That spices the atmosphere with such an array of flavors.
And I know I do this very well.
I've been behind the scenes auditioning for too long!
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Etched in Deep Sorrow
Why are those who are baited to strike,
With the biting of venom
Eventually find they've become victims,
Of a misunderstanding they can't
From their minds ever erase?
Or replace with repeated apologies.
And the looks on their faces are etched,
In deep sorrow as if in permanent positions.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
In The 21st Century
When the river runs dry, what will we say
Na na na na na na na na hey hey
In the 21st century
Oh when the river runs dry, what will we do
Na na na na na na na na oh-hoo
In the 21st century
When the river runs dry, what will we wear
Na na na na na na na na where?
To the 21st century
Now some people sing, some people say
Na na na na na na na na hey hey
Get up off your knees and pray
Pray that the earth dont tire, of the way that were puttin her down
Hope that the universe dont say Im still expanding but your time is up
Some people sing, some people sigh
Na na na na na na na na why?
Why cant we live in peace
Some people sing, some people say
Na na na na na na na na hey hey
In the 21st century
Hope that the earth dont tire, of the way that were puttin her down
Hope the universe dont say - stop spinning around
Hope the world dont say that weve got no place to go
Hope the universe dont say Ill be expanding for a while, you? no!
In the 21st century
In the 21st century
In the 21st century
In the 21st century
In the 21st century
21st century
21st century
21st century
21st century
21st century
In the 21st century
21st century
When the river runs dry, what will we say
Na na na na na na na na hey hey
21st century
The 21st century
The 21st century
The 21st century
Oh when the river runs dry, what will we do
Na na na na na na na na oh-hoo
song performed by by Men Without Hats

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!

The heart of the security agenda is protecting lives - and we now know that the number of people who will die of AIDS in the first decade of the 21st Century will rival the number that died in all the wars in all the decades of the 20th century.
Commitment
Commitment is
An oath one makes
After reaching the deciding factor
That it takes, what it takes
Whether the oath brings the world's
approval or acknowledgement or not
It's all real
Completely genuine
Not at all fake
100% of
total effort
Is what most people desires
For life requires,
tenacity is also
what it takes
poem by Angel A. Lockwood

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
This... there's nothing more difficult than this. Because we have really, truly good white people in important positions. And the fact of the matter is that there are a limited number of those positions. And unless we are conscious of the need to have more people of color, gays, other people in those positions we will not change the problem. We're in a position where you have to say who is going to step down so someone else can have power.
quote by Mark Lloyd

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Erase 'em All
Building the walls around it
Created self with nothing much
Without a cost to find it
Feeling avoid and losing touch
The borrowed taste his novelty
Could be a product of another's humility
Don't worry your loss wil be his gain
He wouldn't hesitate to turn his back on you
And it might be true
Erase 'em all - Don't worry boy
You gotta rise to fall befoer you know the motto
Erase 'em All - Don't worry boy
You gotta rise to fall before you know you gotta
Erase 'em all
The warning's out it's gonna come to an end and I
Hate to see him label me as a friend tonight
Never question my intentions without the right
Showing me another way to turn his back on you
And it might be you
Erase 'em All - Don't worry boy
You gotta rise to fall before you know the motto
Erase 'em All - Don't worry boy
You gotta rise to fall before you know you gotta
Erase 'em all, Erase 'em all, Erase 'am all,
Erase 'em all
Erase 'em all, Erase 'em all, Erase 'am all,
Erase 'em all
You wanna stay you'd better run
When I catch up you better have a gun
I'm so wound up from playin' dumb
This time it's real and real isn't fun
You never saw this side before
Don't test the water for what's in store
I drew the line and I learned a rule
What's good for me isn't good for you
Erase 'em all
Erase 'em All - Don't worry boy
You gotta rise to fall before you know the motto
Erase 'em All - Don't worry boy
You gotta rise to fall before you know you gotta
Erase 'em All - Don't worry boy
You gotta rise to fall before you know the motto
Erase 'em All - Don't worry boy
You gotta rise to fall before you know you gotta
Erase 'em all
song performed by by 1208

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Strong Enough Not To Express Their Frustrations
Explaining themselves with a host of excuses.
Says many things about people like this.
And the one thing that stands out clearly,
Is a wish they believe is kept secret...
To have their insecurities accepted.
With a protecting no one neglects of this.
These people are always demanding,
Understanding.
With a hope...
That someone will come along,
To allow themselves to be openly disrespected.
While comprehending in a patience understood,
They are the ones...
Strong enough not to express their frustrations.
Soley for the purpose to have others dump theirs.
Making the act of this help the dumpers feel good.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Very Much Does This Become a Factor
To be branded different,
Eventually motivates...
The one made aware of it.
The one feeling misfit...
And out of place.
The one labelled with indignities,
By others.
Taunting!
To initiate feelings of being disgraced.
Those discovered unmotivated...
And dispersing their own brand,
Of collective mental punishment.
Unsolicited yet promoted!
Unless they are in agreement,
Someone they perceive beneath them...
Who has achieved success,
Merits a cold shoulder...
To express and show,
Their disapproval.
With ignorance intact!
And this act done...
Comes complete,
With unattractive verbal attacks.
Sweetened to release their insecurities.
To satisfy a self importance,
They hope is noticed!
With an exposed devotion.
And...
It is!
Some sick notion practiced.
And...
It is!
Very much a factor,
In determining their lack of consciousness.
Possessed as if sought after.
To keep and defend against,
Those minding their business.
Those unaffected by this.
And indifferent!
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Awkward Age
I should have know that you were only just fifteen
You had a scowl like a Klingon beauty queen
Old enough to stand out but to young to stand with pride
So uncomfortable in your messed-up skin
And the cool parties never let you in
I can still relate to being so high and dry
Don't cry...
You're just at an awkward age
We'll all be fine
Disgraceful under pressure
Don't toe the line
You're just at an awkward age
Don't cry- just an awkward age
Don't cry
You're just at an awkward...
You look at me like i know what's going on
I'm looking back and i wonder what went wrong
I really thought by now a few things might clarify
I got a mind that goes out to lunch for days
And a body that sometimes disobeys
I get into the parties but i hate them 'cos i'm shy
Oh my...
I'm still at an awkward age
We'll all be fine
Disgraceful under pressure
Don't toe the line
You're just at an awkward age
Don't cry- just an awkward age
Don't cry
You're just at an awkward...
We're supposed to be happy
Supposed to be tough
Supposed to be flawless
Snd buy the right stuff
They want us all swimming
Don't care if we drown
Do don't let 'em take you down
It's a scary mountain to climb up without a guide
Besides...
We live in an awkward age
song performed by by Joe Jackson

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!