Author's note: The above is a lovely, pretty sky, don't you think? Pretty nondescript, though...
*
I love pretty skies
As much as
the next man, woman, or child
However, it's possible
To be too Too busy looking up
at perfect skies
To miss the ugly beauty
of the struggle beneath
The sun and the rain
Those excelling beyond belief
the latchkey kids
The privileged few
The Fight for Survival
Overlooked from business class
The alleyways were beggars
With a cap in hand or a plastic cup
While the one percent
Follow their lust and desire
The wretched and the miserable
Are neighbours to the glory
At best, you can hope
To toe the line
Between the two sides
The beauty and the dirt
The hope and the hopeless
The rock bottom sits
Beneath the mountain top of Fake Achievement
You're either the monkey
The clown, the lion
or the ringmaster
in this circus
Captains of industry
Captains of a sinking ship
Poets of old, tho not all
Those that mattered
That had something to say
About the horror around them
Died all the same
As will you and I
Whether you are Bezos or a beggar
Death awaits you
Death will welcome you
Death will unify you
So, yes...smell the roses
Appreciate the sunrises and sunsets
Live your best life
There are others
Better off
There are also those
Worse off
When you stop
And look to the sky
Remember the gutter
What could you do?
That
is
up
to
you
*
Thanks for reading!
About the Creator
Paul Stewart
Award-Winning Writer, Poet, Scottish-Italian, Subversive.
The Accidental Poet - Poetry Collection out now!
Streams and Scratches in My Mind coming soon!
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Comments (13)
Whoa! This one really makes you think! I love you how you start with this beautiful thing we can all see... and then bring it down to Earth, where we all are, all the differences and all the similarities. I wasn't expecting this direction but I loved it!
'Between the two sides The beauty and the dirt The hope and the hopeless' This is an exceptional piece about the equalizer of humanity. I seriously can't love this one any more.
“At best, you can hope To toe the line Between the two sides The beauty and the dirt” Damn, Paul. You wrote the shit out of that. This is really beautiful. Also, read “ugly beauty” as “ugly betty” and was like wtf. I had to read it three times 🤦🏽♀️. Oh, dyslexia.
This was so profound and thought provoking! Different plots, same ending. Fantastic poem! 🍩🥐
Yes, yes, yes! A really powerful poem. By the way, I used the same image for a poem of mine. ;-)
You channeled your inner crotchety old man in this one, and I’m here for it! I feel like you humbled me and uplifted me all at once through delivering some acquired wisdom.
Well done, Paul 🙏🤍 you have managed to cleverly put into poetry many philosophical topics that all warrant a night under the stars with a fire and good company to discuss ✨
Great pic of the sky. So right though, so much going on under such beauty, we have to compartmentalize and do our best. Great lines.
A philosophic, stoic, yet appreciative take upon our lot in life, simply & beautifully expressed.
I felt this one right in my derealization nightmare! This was beautifully done! That picture of the Sky is magnificent.
You mentioned that I'm always here in the comments. This is another example of the reason why. I mean, c'mon, man! Heartbreaking AND inspirational! Great stuff!
Damn this was raw...toe the line indeed. Wonderful stuff, soixante ;)
👏👏👏👏👏 YES. Every line. YES.