Life...Somewhere

Life...Somewhere...

At this moment...

Somewhere, an infant sucks in first breath
and lets out a victorious wail
Somewhere else, perhaps nearby, perhaps continents away,
another child lets out her last pained breath.
Somewhere, perhaps in a backyard
with plastic munitions provided by Wal*Mart
Or in the dust with grenades offered by a shadow government,
boys kill...and play at killing each other...for nothing, over nothing.
Somewhere, happily, a newlywed couple experiences their first night of union,
While somewhere else, someone is crying over love, once vibrant
and bright, dissolving into nothingness.

At this moment...

Someone strives on, desperately clinging to an ephemeral strand of adamantium hope
While someone else, soul seared off and buried already in the silent graveyard
of Unheard Tears, voluntarily consigns himself to oblivion.
Someone is trying and will succeed
Someone else is trying and will fail.
Both continue on their chosen path
or find a new route to the Gates of Telos.
One mother grasps her baby tight, thankful
for the gift she's been given, appreciating
the awesome responsibility that comes with it.
Somewhere else, a young woman doesn't even
look back to the screaming child she's left in a slimy dumpster,
Her mind already doing acrobatics, finding the way
to her next fix.
Somewhere, a little boy is proudly displaying his report card to a beaming father, while
in the house across the street, another little boy hides in a tree,
praying to anyone listening that daddy isn't angry with him tonight and
please, please, don't let him hurt mommy and me...
Somewhere, in their own custom, a couple weds, stepping out
on the enterprise of life together,
Yet somewhere in America, someone is contributing to the 53% because
he could not keep his eyes from someone who belonged to someone else.
In a far off land, a soldier is dreaming of home, while a man abuses the rights the soldier
fights for by holding up a 7-11.
Somewhere, someone is looking into a
glass of amber escape, pondering in his or her own weary resignation,
the weakness of mankind, while somewhere in the dark
Someone else is penning the exact same thoughts...one day
to be remembered as one of the premier philosophers of the time.

Somewhere...

Someone dreams
Someone weeps
Someone waits, anxiously
Someone pulls someone else up from the wreckage
Someone craves destruction
Someone...Everyone changes the world in ways No one sees.

This is life and it doesn't stop for anyone
It continues on, perpetuated by chaos and reason, reactions and decisions,
and the unacknowledged Hand.

This is life...and it is so beautifully tragic.

-CiS, 12-28-2008

A few nights ago, I couldn't sleep. My mind just wouldn't stop racing and in my typical fashion, I waxed philosophical. This poem sort of just dribbled onto the page of a tiny notebook my mom gave me at about 3:30 in the morning.

I'm sure some people, especially of the cousin variety, are raising their eyebrows a little, because it isn't a particularly happy sentiment. But this is why I say 'the Infinite contradiction of endless hope'...this is how life is, through the decisions of human beings, this is how our world works. But I choose to hope. Choose to believe the better of people, to believe that in the end, it works out. In the face of all this sadness, all this grief, and hurt and anger and...stupidity...it seems like hope is madness. Well, in that case, give me a toothy grin and call me the Hatter. ^.^
So read into this what you will, feel free to leave comments. I know it's not the greatest, but again, wee hours of the morning don't exactly pump out Blake or Ginsberg (well, probably Ginsberg, but I'm not depressed in the 1950's).

Thanks.