Wednesday, July 15, 2015

THE POWER TO CHANGE


The Great Eradicator



Sometimes I fantasize about being
a super-hero who fixes the world.
"The Great Eradicator", me, I'd eliminate
war, poverty, crime (and punishment), racism, abuse 
of children/women/men, slavery, homelessness, 
drug and human trafficking, all the fracking, mining, digging,
killing of this earth, 
the senseless poaching, factory farming, animal abuse, 
and anything I may have forgotten on my super-list.

Would I really fix the world? Be eradicated myself
by dissenters? Or become intoxicated with the allure
of power, prestige and possessions
transforming me into a super-villain?

But it's not a comic book,
this complicated world I inhabit.
Here I only have the power to change myself
using not my power of eradication, but creation
of a smile, a word, a gesture, a kindness, 
a kiss, a look, a thought, an intention, an action
to be
the change 
I want to see. *


(Susan asks us to write about power at Poets United.)


 *("Be the change you wish to see in the world."  Mahatma Gandhi)


19 comments:

  1. Words laced with deep wisdom. I loved reading your poem. Beautifully written.

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  2. The Great Eradicator sounds like a powerful & daring individual and I m sure she shall succeed in destroying all forms of evil until only good is left in the world :D
    Beautifully executed :D

    Lots of love,
    Sanaa

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  3. A wonderful journey from fantasy to a powerful truth. Thank you.

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  4. you're not alone. We as a people have the power to change much, just never give up!

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  5. True. And I choose to eradicate a lot of those evils (including cruelty) in myself. One step at a time.

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  6. I guess it's from these big dreams that the importance of little actions become meaningful. Lovely lines X

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  7. The only problem with power is that we can not change others, and I fear as soon as you eradicated one thing people would find something to replace it with. So true, we can only control ourselves - but as Margaret Mead said:

    A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has

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  8. We don't need super powers to change the world. A simple act of kindness has its own power and lingering effect

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  9. We are such kindred spirits, Myrna. I love this. (I forgot about animal abuse on my diatribe, but it so fits under that umbrella). I love the closing, being the change as best one can, and hopefully a few billion others being the change as well. Smiles.

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  10. Changing oneself and being an example to others helps but we are dealing with a cruel and uncaring world of greedy cruel people, many of whom govern us and make up the rules to suit themselves. I'll see you in the revolution.

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  11. You're more optimistic than I to even entertain such a fantasy.

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  12. this is a pearl of wisdom Myrna...we always need to play our part in a positive way....

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  13. We can change the world around us by the tiniest of gestures, I like the message this brings.

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  14. the power of creation - yep - that might be much more efficient - if we just erase there is a void that needs to be filled again - if we do good things they supersede the bad in the most wonderful way

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  15. The power to change yourself is all you need to be a positive influence on the world. Well written.

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  16. By changing ourselves we undoubtedly change the world around us - a clever use of the quote and the cartoon was a definite :)

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  17. I love the wisdom of creation of ourselves ~ Really we can only do much, and within our control, only ourselves & those around us ~

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  18. One can do so within one's own means. No amount of cajoling can make others change if these are not a fulfillment of their agenda.The tragedy is that their agenda can be destructive to others. Worst they have the power to do so! It is terrible double whammy!

    Hank

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  19. Hmmm, I think you are already a super heroine, Myrna. Your last verse describes (I am sure) what you are already doing! :-)

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