For I have no wish to move planets;
I have neither the power nor will,
And heaven can stay right above me,
And the angels can laugh at my skill.
The world I know cannot be conquered;
Peevish logic would not have me try,
And death will come sooner or later
For a slumber my mind can’t deny;
And though I have dreams to be soaring
With the wind as my mantle and shield,
Reality always comes roaring
To submit to its wisdom and yield.
Yet something still trembles inside me
When confronting despotic regimes;
Though greatness itself may elude me,
I’ll still splash in the wealth of my dreams.
2019 © Sonya Annita Song
Reowr 
Nicely penned 👌
Thank you kindly. 🙂
My pleasure 🤗
There’s a calm power in this poem, wondrous
I’m glad you feel that way. Thank you. 🙂
You’re very welcome Cubby🙂
I so love this. I love your poetry 🌸🌸
Aw, that is very kind of you. And I love the way you write as well. 🙂
Thanks Sonya. You write so beautiful
You ARE the Poet! Not I..🙂💗
Poet | Definition of Poet by Merriam-Webster
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poet
Definition of poet. 1 : one who writes poetry : a maker of verses.
I view being a poet as how we choose to identify ourselves. You are also a poet if you wish to identify yourself in that way because you write poetry. 🙂
touché 🙂
🙂
😃
Oh would you believe it
this work of yours chided
my childlike optimism,
raring me to write a response
that would take reality by it’s throat
and have it sumit to my will?
😄😋 You’re a wonderful writer Cubby!
Love your response! Thank you for your lovely words. 🙂
Well put…I think that, without aspiration, we’d have no reason to live.
Aspirations can be big and small. Some people aspire for the comfort of a loving family; some people aspire for a reasonable quality of life; and then there are some who aspire for a shadow of greatness. 🙂
Your writing style flows together so well. Thanks for sharing your talent.
And thank you so much for reading so graciously. 🙂
Beautifully penned. Dreams are ours to control, even in the common sense of reality.
The quotability quotient of your last line is remarkable! Really nice. 🙂
That last line…Speaks to me In volumes
I am glad the most important line could speak to you. 🙂
It really did.
🙂
And our dreams cannot be taken away.
Exactly. 🙂
😊
Angels are dicks. They’re always like, “You’re gonna have God’s baby. You’re welcome.” Mary was the original #MeToo. Back when it was just #Me. “I can fly.” “Look at your crappy house. I live in the clouds.” I hate those guys.
I love how you almost always end on a positive note. My writing is always pessimistic, but in life I’m usually ridiculouly optimistic. Based on your writing and our conversations, I believe you will achieve your dreams. I think you have the skills and determination.
I hope you’re not overly religious or too easily offended. We’ve become so eager to be offended and so afraid to offend that we restrict our creativity, which I think is a far greater crime and dangerous slope than offending somebody.
Lol well, I daresay that your first paragraph would likely offend quite a few people. However, the people it does offend should recognize that you are not refuting the existence of angels but simply hating on them in a tongue-and-cheek kind of way.
I prefer to leave things on a positive note as I feel there is a need for more positivity in our world. I think your writing seems to border on cynicism and realism, which some would construe as pessimistic. I appreciate the faith you have in me as the faith I have in myself can get a little shaky at times.
I am not usually easily offended, although I suppose it would depend on the subject. As for religion, I generally try to avoid talking about it overtly, along with politics.
I agree that we have become too sensitive about everything, but maybe that’s just the way the pendulum swings, from apathy to zealotry. It will swing back when we have become so desensitized to the moral outrage and indignation over even the most trivial things that we will have to step back in order to regain perspective.
I’m glad you’re not offended. I hate that I have to worry about that. I never used to. The bottom line is it was a joke. I wasn’t even hating on angels. I read your poem and visualized those angels laughing at you. When I dropped down to comment all I could think was, “Angels are dicks.” It made me laugh, and I hoped it would make you laugh. I rolled with it for a few lines. I have far more offensive angel jokes. I was more concerned about the #MeToo joke. I have an enormous reverence for women. All the most important people in my life are women. Every person I’ve ever been in love with has been a woman. I would never intentionally disrespect or hurt a woman, but I would joke about it.
Confidence is by nature a shaky thing for most of us. Creating something and sharing it with others takes a lot of confidence. Especially in today’s world where trolls have moved out from under to bridges to comfy seats behind keyboards. To dare to dream to that we can be successful with our creations is an entirely different level of confidence bordering on insanity. We all need that confidence boost wherever we can find it. That’s why I am always so appreciative of your comments and kind words. I’ve said it before, your comments help me feel more comfortable posting my words, baring my soul. Not many other people comment on my blog. Maya Angelou said, “Nobody, but nobody can make it out here alone.” Well, Janet Jackson said it, but Maya Angelou wrote it.
I like to talk religion. Religion intrigues me. I’ve been to Catholic services, Mormon services, Buddhist services, (Spoiler: all are equally boring.) read the Bible twice, the Bhagavad Gita, the Qur’an, The Brothers Karamazov thrice (It’s my favorite!), The Color Purple, Comedia, Paradise Lost, Lamb…, and listened to many lectures on religion. I don’t understand it. I understand the need and desire to believe things can and will get better, that there’s something better out there, that there’s more than just this. I just can’t believe it, and I can’t understand the belief. It’s too far out from my perception of reality.
I used to be into politics before it was another reality show. I hate reality shows. I don’t know about Canada, but our government is like The Real Politicians Of America. Our politicians can’t even talk politics.
I think the problem is that it is a pendulum instead of finding a nice happy medium. We need to find that place where we can respect each other and still make jokes. We need to be able to understand that a joke is usually just a joke and be able to take a joke.
I had to bring my notepad out to respond to this comment lol. The funny thing about jokes, or maybe not so funny, is that it depends on who’s laughing. I find some offensive jokes can be funny, but at the same time, I understand how they can rub people the wrong way.
I did laugh at the comment you made about angels, but it was almost in disbelief that you would actually write something like that. Of course you were joking, including about the #MeToo. It would be silly to think that you were actually being serious, but not everyone has the ability to discern between the two, especially in virtual space.
I actually hate it when people say, “No offense, but…” to me. If you are going to be offensive, just be offensive, don’t preface it with, “No offense, but…” That doesn’t make it any less offensive.
It’s funny how writers can be so insecure. Every time I post a new poem, there is insecurity about whether others will enjoy it or not. In the end, you have to let it all go and take everything you receive, or don’t receive, as feedback. When it comes to comments, the more you reach out to others, the more they will reach out to you. It’s give and take.
I respect everyone’s beliefs and principles, as long as they are not harmful to others.
Your politicians are painful to listen to, albeit painfully entertaining.
I agree that it would be nice to find a nice happy medium, but I doubt this will happen anytime soon.
Every person can interpret a joke differently. We all have different life experiences that shape how we view the world. A joke that you could view as offensive I might not even understand why it’s offensive. I’m more likely to be offended that a joke isn’t funny than by the content of the joke. My grandmother would call my angel joke sacrilegious. Someone who has been sexually harassed or worse could say I was marginalizing the #MeToo movement and the struggles of women. Someone else could be offended by the word “dick” regardless of context. Some people will look for a reason to be offended before even considering the joke for humorous value. To me, it’s just silly and goofy. Writing for kids, a lot of fart jokes come into play. People could find that gross and offensive.
Was my joke shocking because of the content? Or you didn’t expect that coming from me based on my other writing? My sense of humor spans from innocuous word play, puns, to down and dirty vulgarity. Funny’s funny. George Carlin is probably my favorite comedian, but I’ll roll with a Seinfeld. I’ll get in the car and have coffee with him.
I think “No offence, but…” completely depends on the context. If you think someone could be offended but that’s not your intention. I might use that in critiquing something. I wouldn’t intend offence, but I think you could improve this piece by tweaking this line. Someone could be offended that I would dare to question their artistic genius. I always want to improve. I always want to know if there’s something I did that could have been done better. On the other hand, “No offense, but your a fat bitch.” The “No offense, but…” probably doesn’t work in that context.
Maybe it takes a certain level of insecurity to be a writer. It requires a degree of misanthropic, solipsistic characteristics. How much time do you spend sequestered writing? I spend far too much time alone. Insecurity fits in nicely. If you feel insecure, it makes it easier to lock yourself away. At the same time, a boldness is required, a god-complex, if you will. We play Prometheus every time we create a new character. We create new worlds, universes for our characters to inhabit. Of course, I’ve never heard of a deity who wasn’t insecure. Even Zeus had to trick women into having sex with him. Apparently, walking into a bar with the line, “Hey, I’m Zeus, king of the gods,” wouldn’t even work for him. That actually makes me feel a little bit better about myself.
I like these ridiculously long philosophical discussions.
Your joke was shocking only in that it was unexpected. I know what to expect when I am watching TV shows like ‘Family Guy’ or ‘American Dad,’ but I don’t actually expect things like that outside of TV.
Critiquing is something else entirely. I do think there are constructive ways to critique and unhelpful ways to critique. The unhelpful ways are generally the cause of offence, in my opinion. “I don’t like this,” is not a good critique, especially if the person doesn’t know why they don’t like it or what they would want changed.
You are incredibly prolific when it comes to these discussions. I am running out of steam. I may need a nap. But before I go, I am very introverted so I like to have a lot of space and time to myself. And being insecure is better than being overconfident. Okay. Nap time.
Aren’t shocking and unexpected the same thing?
I’m an extreme introvert, too. I need the alone time with my thoughts, with my computer, but I also get lonely. Insecurity and overconfidence can both be handicaps. Can I still say that? Drawbacks? Again, we need to find that middle ground.
Enjoy your nap. It’s back to work for me.