The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

Just the other day, this old quote suddenly sprung to mind for no apparent reason: "If you're not a liberal at 20, you have no heart. If you're not a conservative at 40, you have no brain." Granted, given how old this quote is, the original author may not believe it fully applies today since the definitions of the terms liberal and conservative  have changed through the years. However, after thinking about it, if it did, I'd probably alter the quote to this: "If you're not a liberal at 20, you have no heart. If you're not a liberal at 40, you have no heart and no memory." Even with many modern-day conservatives, I often hear the rhetoric, "Well, when you're in college, still depending on mom and dad, and not making much money, yeah, it's easy to be a liberal. However, when you become a conservative, that's when you know you'll have grown up and become an actual adult." Yes, when we're young, in college, feeling...

The Chamber of My Heart In the dark of the night, A pitch black sky, Lightning in the distance, Something not feeling right, The sky as dark as your soul, Lies told aplenty, Feeling a sense of loss, As the truth comes forward, Locking my emotions in a cell, Throwing away the key myself, Not allowing a single person in, Not wanting to experience such pain again, Surrounded by bars, I sit in the corner, Looking straight down, Numbing myself in the process, I finally break free, Before being struck by illness, Unable to walk, Feeling entrapped once again, Told it could be permanent, That I may lose my legs, With a sound of pessimism, Terrifying images then portrayed, Imprisoned once again, Numb from an unknown cause, Praying for an answer, Praying for my life back, I awaken one morning, Rise with a sense of hope, No longer feeling helpless, The sentence finally over, For years my heart resided in a chamber, Fearful of letting it out, Until the n...

I JUST wrote this new poem of mine, "Beat," posted it to some websites and have already received a review. The commentator said: "This is such a powerful write, I felt intensity with this. So nicely done." Here is the poem: Sheltered from this world, Protected from potential harm, Fearful of being released, Wanting to maintain its innocence, As it begins to mature, Innocence slowly fades, Longing for a sense of freedom, To make its own decisions, Finally out in the world, Released to the masses, Curiosity at its peak, Expanding with every experience, Handed to another, Trusting of their care, Full of life and joy, Fears, worries and doubts spared, No longer protected, No longer innocent, Beating with desire, Beating with passion, Looked at momentarily, Before being thrown to the ground, Slowly breaking, Being kicked and stomped upon, Released unto her, Beating with life, Broken and crushed, The beating has stopped.

Beat Sheltered from this world, Protected from potential harm, Fearful of being released, Wanting to maintain its innocence, As it begins to mature, Innocence slowly fades, Longing for a sense of freedom, To make its own decisions, Finally out in the world, Released to the masses, Curiosity at its peak, Expanding with every experience, Handed to another, Trusting of their care, Full of life and joy, Fears, worries and doubts spared, No longer protected, No longer innocent, Beating with desire, Beating with passion, Looked at momentarily, Before being thrown to the ground, Slowly breaking, Being kicked and stomped upon, Released unto her, Beating with life, Broken and crushed, The beating has stopped.

Inner Conflict of the Unknown As I look up, I’m unable to see his presence, Nowhere to be seen near or far, Being physically absent, I cannot hear his voice, Even in the still of the night, As the crickets chirp, I listen for a sign, Children being abused, Families in poverty, Wars being waged, How could he let this be? His benevolence can be questioned, Omniscience too, Omnipotence appears unlikely, Yet I wish it were true, An angel looking down upon me, Making certain I’m alright, There to reward me after I pass, Welcoming me into the next life, Yet doubt lingers over me, As I walk the streets at night, People lying in them passed out, Having given up on this life, Unable to prove he exists, Unable to prove he’s absent, Doubting with all my mind, Hoping with all my heart.