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    Bill W
  • Bill W
  • Author
  • 03/28/2013
  • 317 Words
  • 1,327 Views
  • 26 Comments
Poetry posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

A Life in Question - 1. A Life in Question

This is the first poem I've submitted.

Is it a voice I hear calling to me?
Why is It telling me that I am my brother’s keeper?
Is this merely my conscience speaking?
Or is it the voice of God that I hear?

Although I do not live a lavish lifestyle
Nor do I possess the wealth I’d dreamed of attaining
The quality of my life has been more than adequate
And I do not want for any basic needs.

However, I am aware there are many in the world
Who are not so lucky and much worse off than I,
Because they lack suitable food and water,
As well as a safe place to call home.

Although I wish my life had been better
And I had everything my heart desired,
I am grateful for the things that I have
And I’m willing to share my good fortune.

Even though my life did not turn out exactly as I’d planned
It’s still better than many others in the world,
I’ll admit that I tend to ignore this fact at times
Otherwise I might feel guilty about being dissatisfied.

I have done what I can to help others in need
So my conscience is clear, although I might have done more
The voice now whispers hope and offers me solace
I’ve done what I could to end some of the suffering.

Have we all heard this voice, yet heeded it not?
Are we all too absorbed in the pursuit of useless objects?
Are we willing to ignore others struggling to merely stay alive?
Are those objects more valuable than a human life?

The Pharaohs believed our hearts would be weighed on a scale
If that’s true, will our good deeds offset our insatiable greed?
If there is a God, will (s)he be pleased with what we’ve done?
Or will we have failed to live up to the humanity we were given?

Copyright © 2013 Bill W; All Rights Reserved.
  • Like 3
Poetry posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 
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Chapter Comments



Bill W
On 04/20/2013 03:48 AM, carringtonrj said:
Lots of interesting thoughts, a real voice of conscience. You express precisely how most of feel, I guess: we do OK; we have problems of our own; but are we failing to do enough for those who are so much worse off than us? Is ours a good life? A difficult question to answer, but asking it all is a first step, I guess. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the feedback, RJ. These are questions I ask myself quite often.
Bill W
On 04/20/2013 06:39 AM, comicfan said:
I know I've heard said before but what good is a life unexamined? Your poem does nothing less then take a moment to look at what you have, be grateful for it, and look to the future. If our heart is weighed on the scale of truth against a feather, may we be lucky enough to see the scales balance. Definitely food for thought in your poem.
Thanks for the feedback, Wayne, and I hope this does cause people to examine their lives for a moment.
Bill W
On 04/20/2013 08:23 AM, Yettie One said:
The voice of a man's conscience is never easy to find answers too.

We can only do our best, and try be what we can to those we can.

Poignant line of thought Bill.

Thank you for the response, Yetti, and what I was hoping to evoke were feelings toward those less fortunate and outside our own extended family or particular group, whether based of ethniticity, race, religion or some other factor.
Fishwings

What a beautiful and insightful poem Bill. It was really to the point and underlies the greatest questions of humanity and how they have been blurred by the voices of culture. What if money were no object? What is our worth? Who do we compare it to? What is happiness, and where do we derive it from? What is our meaning?

I particularly loved the last verse with the Pharaohs. Wonderful work Bill.

Bill W
On 04/21/2013 01:05 PM, Luc Rosen said:
What a beautiful and insightful poem Bill. It was really to the point and underlies the greatest questions of humanity and how they have been blurred by the voices of culture. What if money were no object? What is our worth? Who do we compare it to? What is happiness, and where do we derive it from? What is our meaning?

I particularly loved the last verse with the Pharaohs. Wonderful work Bill.

Thanks for the feedback, Fishy, and I'm glad you enjoyed it. I was a little hesitant to submit it, seeing I'd never entered a poem before, so I'm glad it was well received.
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