hand me downs,
heresy, and hope

the rules of karma
are hard to follow

…….so much is unintentional
…….and yet, pain is caused

…….i never kill spiders
…….but stay away from me
…….if you’re a fly

…….that hardly seems fair

…….i am biased
…….despite all attempts
…….at magnanimity

i sit here in this garden
i pull weeds that want to grow
i displace ants and snails
…….simply striving to survive

…….we all play god
…….in our own small way

bending rules
breaking promises

…….forgiving
…………forgetting
……………..pretending

…….awards are given
…….for best posture

…….stand tall

…….reach for the sky

…………offer penance
……………..for a pittance

……………..next time,
……………..you will soar

.
.
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Linking up with the fabulous dVerse poets for Open Link Night – Anniversary Week, join us!

38 Responses to “hand me downs,
heresy, and hope”

  • Graciel Says:

    please include this one in your book. the one i am waiting for…xoxo

  • Michael Says:

    I do not fret about next time, yet I still find it difficult to weed and raze. Perhaps I’m naïve, or as PaulSimon said, maybe I think too much. Glad to find like-minded gardeners of life.

  • Debi Says:

    we do play god. it is a hard role to live up to, si? i have a feeling god doesn’t stay awake at night, worrying that the ants find a new home. it is the ants’ karma(s) to start again.

    this is wonderful.

  • nana Says:

    I’m with Graciel, where’s the book 🙂

  • Anna Montgomery Says:

    This strikes me as I too save spiders (but also flies) and just asked my best friend after watching him pull weeds in his garden to stop killing the baby plants. It felt discriminatory :). I happily avoid gardening as it’s illegal to water here so the forest goes about its business and I can remain happily naive. Beautiful and thought provoking, your work has ‘soul’.

  • Frida Says:

    I move spiders and and such to get them out of harms way but when it comes to bees and wasps I don’t hesitate to kill them. Gorgeous image.

  • Arron Shilling Says:

    hey –

    i’m always thinking on this… i hate killing anything, even a nat or flidge… i hate the mess lol… if i make it back i’ll be a rat,no doubt…

    we do all play god… i think it would be better if we stopped playing and took our roles more seriously!

    your structure weaves out the words with ever readable lines and connections…

    uplifting 😀

  • brian miller Says:

    lots of truth in this…karma def is hard when you think of all the unintentional death or displacement we cause just in living…we do all play god wether we like to think that or not…

  • ayala Says:

    We do play god, don’t we? bending rules
    breaking promises…so true! I love this. You always have a great way with this thing called life 🙂

  • Claudia Says:

    true that…there was one year when i tried to kill the thousands of snails that ate my newly planted flowers…tried different methods..gave up in the end..just couldn’t do it..

  • Evelyn Says:

    “i never kill spiders
    …….but stay away from me
    …….if you’re a fly”
    HA!!!
    This is a GREAT poem. So true.
    the title is so sharp and strong…

  • poemblaze Says:

    Great poem. Yes, we are all inconsistent. Part of being human.

  • Daydreamertoo Says:

    I never kill spiders either. I think we all do play God to a certain extent, it comes with the territory of being human and having an ego, I guess. Lovely read Ms M

  • Linda Kruschke Says:

    This was great! It reminded me of the conversation I had with my son this past weekend about bugs. He asked, “If you had a button that would instantly eradicate every one of a type of bug, what would it be?” Now that would be playing God, for sure. At the time, my answer was earwigs because they were crawling all over our tent. But then we wondered what the repercussions would be. Not being God, we couldn’t say. Peace, Linda

  • Shawn Says:

    we all play god
    in our own small way

    Yes we do. I was thinking this yesterday as I forced ants to carry their young while I attempted to thwart this drought, watering my plants.

    forgiving
    forgetting
    pretending

    I enjoyed this very much!

  • Kate Says:

    Another great one.

    And I never kill spiders either. Flies are another story.

  • Anthony Desmond Says:

    I’m almost too afraid to kill spiders…

    But I dont buck up the balls to do every now & then.. great write. really did make me think.

    ya never think about how killing a bug is playing God in a way. hmmm…

  • Brian Carlin Says:

    And it’s how we write, choose our sentences to speak and choose our acquaintances too…. Good write.

  • Tania Says:

    next time / you will soar

    This is a big theme in my life right now, and a big part of my life in general. I love your approach to the problems of living a life by Karma alone. There has to be some give and take, still.

  • Steve King Says:

    Mrs. If we didn’t play god, I wonder who we’d choose to be…”forgiving, forgetting, pretending”…it’s la life’s work. Great job.

  • Vanessa Matthews Says:

    Oh I love this, and you hit the nail on the head, we do all play god in our own small way and yet we are often unsure as to why or even if we have the right. Very astute and nicely done.

  • Amy Sprague Says:

    We all play God…I displace ants and ….
    This is so original and fantastic!

  • Mark WIndham Says:

    so much about this to like, and I like it all

  • Susan Says:

    WOW!!
    “hand me downs,
    heresy, and hope”
    is a true summary of a true poem!!

    “we all play god
    ……in our own small way

    bending rules
    breaking promises

    ……forgiving
    …………forgetting
    ……………..pretending”

    And in addition to pure truth, this poem offers a vision of what God is like. Kind of gets you thinking about the randomness of human suffering.

  • Kathleen Says:

    Wonderful – thoughtful and thought-provoking – I am fine now with spiders – but wasp and ants- yikes!

  • emmett wheatfall Says:

    A really cool poem. It made me think about its message and it truths. A wonderful write.

  • Beth Winter Says:

    “we all play God” Isn’t that the truth. Love this, one of my favorites of yours. Very well crafted with incredible depth and honesty.

  • Ravenblack Says:

    So much truth in that. I won’t pretend though, insects in my house are at the mercy of me. Somehow I get the feeling they are already trying their best to avoid me. Mosquitoes and Roaches get absolutely no mercy.

    Karma is difficult to understand.

    Enjoyed reading this very much and for the thoughts from it. Thank you.

  • Chris Lawrence Says:

    It touches and reaches

  • Louise Says:

    Wonderfully written & thought provoking…it makes me think of how much responsibility we do have towards the creatures (big & small) on this planet…flies have they’re place too, but boy, are they annoying! 🙂

  • Tigerbrite Says:

    I so resonate with this. I ask the flies to leave, don’t make me have to spray you 🙂

  • K. McGee Says:

    Wow! Beautifully written. Deep. Contemplative. A poem that speaks truth through example and imagery.

    “we all play god
    …….in our own small way”

    Isn’t that the truth!

  • Marcie Says:

    So much to ponder on here. Really makes one wonder what it is we choose to do..and why. Beautiful – as always!

  • jane hewey Says:

    the weeds replicate your “stand tall” phrase very nicely. I often feel like a weed. sometimes a rose in bloom. sometimes the fly or spider. this feeling of connection is profound and is clearly sparked in your poem.

  • stu mcp (hate&hope) Says:

    We all play god in some way – made me think about how sometimes we hurt people – intentionally or unintentionally….And how others hurt us , intentionally or unintentionally….but that its part of the circle, part of our path….life even….again..love your words…your writing style is so appealing to me.

  • The Linnet Says:

    Wow, saying it like it is! I knew a practicing Buddist who would not dream of hurting or killing anything… except the ants that trooped into her kitchen. She washed them away with hot water. Great poem 🙂

  • zongrik Says:

    when we bend the rules we hope people can forgiveus, if we are caught, but can we forgive them just as easily?

    Lillian Gish

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