Author's note: These are not my actual feelings. I saw an image and wrote a
poem for it. What image do you see?
If I was Listening
.
If I had been listening,
Well then I might know
What the lands are going to do
And how these things will go.
I might know how I ought to feel
If I heard the arguments flow
And I might not be so confused
If I saw the evidence they had to show.
.
But I did not listen then
And I won't listen now.
So don't tell me how to think,
Don't say 'I am right, here's how'.
Or, if you must, then tell me
Why to your will to bow,
I didn't listen then,
Why should I listen now?
.
I wasn't listening then,
So I missed the Dodo's cry,
Though he warned me that his time was up,
He never again would fly.
The Dodo knew his time had come,
It was his time to die.
The Dodo knew, and told me, too,
And all I did was sigh.
.
I know I could have heard the story
That a man would come to stand,
And just as the poet said,
Hold the world in his hand.
And if, perhaps, I had listen,
I could have stopped the "empire"'s expand,
The hand from crushing to a fist,
Causing a war across the land.
.
Why did I not listen
When they said Heaven had to leave?
Had I heard I might have helped
So no-one had to grieve.
Maybe done some-thing more than just
Cry some tears to stain my sleeve.
I could have helped the whales live,
Or do I myself decieve?
.
Once someone whispered in my ear
The era of them soon would dawn,
Darkness shatter perfect night
By them that cheat and lie and fawn.
I would have killed to stop their rise
Make what could be be gone.
The world I know, it was a sheep,
And now it has been sho'n.
.
I never, ever listened to
The ones who really, truly knew.
The Dodo told me he was dying,
Prophetic whispers getting not through,
I knew every tiny thing,
To make my b'loved world blue.
But I did not listen up to them,
And I will not listen up to you.
If I was Listening
.
If I had been listening,
Well then I might know
What the lands are going to do
And how these things will go.
I might know how I ought to feel
If I heard the arguments flow
And I might not be so confused
If I saw the evidence they had to show.
.
But I did not listen then
And I won't listen now.
So don't tell me how to think,
Don't say 'I am right, here's how'.
Or, if you must, then tell me
Why to your will to bow,
I didn't listen then,
Why should I listen now?
.
I wasn't listening then,
So I missed the Dodo's cry,
Though he warned me that his time was up,
He never again would fly.
The Dodo knew his time had come,
It was his time to die.
The Dodo knew, and told me, too,
And all I did was sigh.
.
I know I could have heard the story
That a man would come to stand,
And just as the poet said,
Hold the world in his hand.
And if, perhaps, I had listen,
I could have stopped the "empire"'s expand,
The hand from crushing to a fist,
Causing a war across the land.
.
Why did I not listen
When they said Heaven had to leave?
Had I heard I might have helped
So no-one had to grieve.
Maybe done some-thing more than just
Cry some tears to stain my sleeve.
I could have helped the whales live,
Or do I myself decieve?
.
Once someone whispered in my ear
The era of them soon would dawn,
Darkness shatter perfect night
By them that cheat and lie and fawn.
I would have killed to stop their rise
Make what could be be gone.
The world I know, it was a sheep,
And now it has been sho'n.
.
I never, ever listened to
The ones who really, truly knew.
The Dodo told me he was dying,
Prophetic whispers getting not through,
I knew every tiny thing,
To make my b'loved world blue.
But I did not listen up to them,
And I will not listen up to you.