Who we are

sorenbarrett

Built of criminals each nation be, did we forget our history?
Other countries bone bags thrown on our shore, today could we ask for more?
These meat sacks given another chance, some went straight some did dance
Forgotten ancestors they were, keeping skeletons in our closet we prefer

First the red men then the black now the brown we want to give back
Some in handcuffs, some in chains, a Statue of Liberty dressed in blood stains
Our cup is full and overflowing curse the waiter send him going
We want our tequila clean and pure, to deaden our conscience with its alure

Sit in the shade and drink their sweat, their will to work our only threat
We stole "our" land from the poor, then threw them out and closed the door
In our swager and sway can we say we are better than they?
Listen to their children cry, there but for the grace of God go I

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Comments +

Comments14

  • arqios

    Boiled down to vapour can also be a case of a pot calling the kettle black and vice versa; our crazy society 🙏🏻🕊

    • sorenbarrett

      Thanks Cryptic. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure they say. An ounce of retention costs more for sure. Appreciate the read and comment.

      • arqios

        So true Soren. You’re welcome 🙏🏻🕊

      • orchidee

        Good write SB.

        • sorenbarrett

          Thanks so much Orchi it is appreciated

        • Salvia.S

          So powerful and haunting.....
          A necessary reflection on the darker aspects of human history.

          • sorenbarrett

            Thank you Salvia for the read and comment your reviews are most important to me

          • David Wakeling

            Wow this sure does shine a light on our ancestors.I guess we all live in shame really.You don't have to go far back to see genocide and murder.Its happening as we speak in Gaza and Ukraine.I wish I had an answer.I remember being horrified by the genocide of the Tasmanian aborigines. Powerful and important poem

            • sorenbarrett

              Thank you so much David for the review yes I have seen personally too much tragedy to keep quiet. There needs to be greater thought of how immigration is handled and illegal entry is prevented.

            • Distant View

              There is much injustice in this world. Some nations are, or have been, more guilty than others - mostly the white empire builders, past and present! Some prominent world leaders claim to be peacemakers right now, but as Bob Dylan said, "Sometimes Satan comes as a man of peace!"

              • sorenbarrett

                Thank you so much for the read and interpretation. Yes we all have responsibility as fellow humans for those we live with and those we choose to be leaders.

              • Poetic Licence

                It is a shame that real history is not taught in schools anymore, the amount of people who do not the true of where they live is astonishing in this day and age, a great write around the dark side of human history

                • sorenbarrett

                  Thank you so much for the read and comment. I don't believe that it ever was. What we were taught I found was all generalization and inaccurate. After all history is written by the winners.

                  • Poetic Licence

                    You are very welcome

                  • Teddy.15

                    So much more than a history lesson in this. Kudos dearest sorrenbarret 🌹

                    • sorenbarrett

                      Thanks so much Teddy for the review and most kind comments it is appreciated.

                    • aDarkerMind

                      powerful and scarey Soren...

                      this world is a very darrk place right now.

                      another well written poem.

                      • sorenbarrett

                        Thank you so much Melvin for the read and comment we have lots of questions and not many answers.

                      • Cassie58

                        There is much in our history to be ashamed of, plenty of carnage and sadly it continues today. Your last stanza is powerfully delivered. A thought provoking poem. Our politicians certainly don’t help the situation and history has a habit of repeating itself.

                        • sorenbarrett

                          Thank you Cassie for your read and comment it is most appreciated. Politicians form Lincoln who delayed the ending of the civil war to wine Republican votes to today they are only interested in votes. A sad situation that we entrust such to take care of our interests

                        • Friendship

                          A powerful poem, Soren, Your poem is a powerful reflection on the historical injustices that shape modern identity, employing visceral language and a free-verse structure to convey its urgent message,
                          urging readers to confront uncomfortable truths about their history and the implications of those truths in the present.

                          • sorenbarrett

                            Thank you for your read and comment. Glad you got the message in this poem more clear than most others.

                          • RSM0812

                            This poem says a lot about a lot of things. It reaches into our nationalistic cultures since the end of WWII most countries of the world are experiencing. Walls and borders. Tariffs and wars. How it effects the individual in all of this is examined. Great write.

                            • sorenbarrett

                              Thank you so much for your kind review and comment. Yes indeed things have changed in the last few fifty years.

                            • Mutley Ravishes

                              I recall Steiner saying that the task of the Europeans in this era was to develop the individual "I." Of course, that comes at a price. I guess we can clearly see this dynamic in America where there are a wealth of opportunities for individuals from all corners of the globe (both "materially," and "spiritually") and also the destruction of the Native peoples, slavery and so on. To take this even further, we could ask ourselves just why did those folks experience genocide and slavery? Is it the law of cause and effect? If that is the case then of course it doesn't justify what happened. I don't pretend to know the answers to these questions, but asking them opens up new vistas. Well, for me anyways.
                              Great write, Soren

                              • sorenbarrett

                                Thanks so much for the read and comment. Your words are always appreciated

                              • Goldfinch60

                                History is only written by the winners soren, the losers may have been the ones that were right.

                                Andy

                                • sorenbarrett

                                  So true Gold and who will ever know? Thanks so much for the read and comment

                                • John Prophet

                                  Man’s inhumanity to man, unfortunately it’s been around since the first son.

                                  • sorenbarrett

                                    Indeed seems to be part of our nature. Thanks so much for the read and comment it is deeply appreciated.



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